Bodija explosion: Time for a closure

Your Excellency, Governor Makinde,

Greetings.

Let me start with a confession. I am involved in the issue I am discussing in this open letter. I could have loved to discuss the issue with you on one-to-one basis instead of using this medium of a newspaper. Unfortunately, in our dispensation in Nigeria, it is not easy for an ordinary person like me who is not a politician to have access to even a local Government Chairman not to talk of a State Governor.

Your Excellency, I am sure you recall vividly the unfortunate bomb explosion that took place at Aderinola street , Old Bodija, Ibadan in the evening of 16th January 2024. It was an horrendous occurrence that greatly traumatized and dehumanized the residents of this street and its environs which extended to as far as the Government Secretariat and University College Hospital. Your Excellency, the day was a day of infamy. This devastating explosion triggered off by  explosives illegally stored by odious Malians who are nothing, but agents of death caused untold damages to lives and property in this area of old Bodija Estate, an Estate reputed to be the first in the whole of Africa. The explosion brought down many well constructed houses like pack of cards, while those houses that did not come down and still standing got mangled and twisted beyond recognition. Many luxurious cars parked in front of those houses were equally mangled and twisted after being tossed into the air like a ping pong ball. The explosion turned the whole area into a war zone where people poured into the streets to escape falling debris and shrapnel. Unconfirmed report put the number of dead people at 19. It is still a mystery how explosives of such magnitude could be stored in such an exclusive are, could escape the attention of our security agencies. Your Excellency, the sordid scale of devastation in that area of Old Bodija, prompted my article titled “Gaza strip at my doorstep” in the Nation newspaper of 13th February 2024.

Your Excellency, it is to your eternal credit that as the Governor of Oyo State you swung into action immediately after the explosion to give succour and emotional support to the innocent victims of this explosion. Immediately you heard about the explosion, you came to the scene of the explosion with your officials including the Deputy Governor of the State. You announced immediately that night that affected people should go to hotels where they would be accommodated free of charge and equally you ordered those who sustained injuries to be taken to hospitals where they would be treated free at your government’s expense. In addition, you gave instructions that the victims of the blast should register at the office of the Housing Corporation nearby with the details of their losses. Your humane nature was also evident when you visited the victims in the hotel and hospitals. Everybody in the area hailed you as a compassionate and humane Governor who took the welfare of his people as supreme task. Recently, your Commissioner of Information brought out a release where he debunked the insinuations that your government has abandoned the victim of the explosion. The release also detailed the amount your government has spent on hotel accommodation, hospital bills of the victims as well as the amount spent on the security agents securing the area of explosion. The amount quoted by the Commissioner ran into millions and it was very impressive.

Mr. Governor, after the initial euphoria, please note that things have changed drastically for the victims especially those who are accommodated in hotels. Those accommodated in the hotels have been moved to less suitable ones where they are fed perfunctorily once a day. The victims appreciate your efforts to lessen their traumas but they are not happy with the situation in the hotels with little hope of returning to their houses anytime soon. The promise to help them repair their houses are yet to be met.  Nothing has been done on this promise since they registered at Housing Corporation more than two months ago. Rainy season is now around and rain is causing more deterioration to the victims’ houses that could still be repaired.

Your Excellency, the urgent appeal of the innocent victims of old Bodija explosion is that your government should immediately come to their aid so that they can repair their houses. Hotel accommodation is no doubt a temporary measure, as the permanent solution is for the victims to move back to their houses. Mr. Governor, you started well by rising up to lessen the trauma of the victims at the heat of the destructive incidence which was not caused by the genuine people living in the area. Please finish the good and humane job you started on January 16th 2024 so that the traumatized residents can return to their streets where some of them have been living for the past 50 years. The residents are happy that you have taken the vermin who caused this untold hardship to court where they would pay for the heinous crime.

Governor Seyi Makinde, the innocent victims of the bomb explosion of January 16, 2024 at Old Bodija are in distress and they look up to you for a way out of the quagmire imposed on them by the Malian agents of death who exploited our hospitality to visit mayhem on our people. Please live up to your reputation as a personable personality with milk of human kindness.

Thank you and may God continue to give you wisdom as you rule Oyo State.

Your Sincerely, Professor Olabode Lucas,  Old Bodija,

Ibadan.

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