Ibadan market fire: Makinde assures of palliatives for victims

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Sunday, paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the burnt Agodi Gate auto spare parts market in Ibadan, assuring of providing some palliative for the victims, within the shortest possible time.

Expressing shock and sadness over the loss of goods worth millions of naira in Saturday’s inferno, Makinde said the process of determining the form of palliative will begin with a meeting between the government and the market representatives on Monday.

To start with, Makinde asked leaders if the market to compile the list of shop owners affected by the fire.

He said: “I greet every one of you here this afternoon. I have seen the extent of destruction and I know how important this market is to the economy of Oyo State.

“I was here during the electioneering and interacted with you. I am still trying to process in my head the way forward but I want to let you know that the government will come to your aid.

“We won’t allow you to bear the brunt alone. So, I will ask the leadership to send your representatives. And by Monday, we will sit together and look at the immediate palliative we can do for you.”

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Speaking further, Makinde noted that it was about time to look at the organisation of the market and look at whether to relocate to a more spacious location.

Makinde noted within the next one or two weeks, the state will make a decision on the market generally.

Makinde said: “The second thing is, I want all of you to go and think about it very well; is it time for us to move this market to a far more organiSed setting? “Please, think about it. Do we need to move this market to a better place that will be more comfortable and spacious for everyone to stay in?

“It is a decision that we need to all take together because I don’t want any reoccurrence of this in the state. And the only way for us to ensure that we don’t witness anything like this again is for us to sit down and think of a solution that will endure.

“Even if the market will remain in the present location, we need to see how we can arrange ourselves such that this kind of thing won’t happen again.”

The President of the market traders, Mr Moruf Olanrewaju, took the governor and his entourage around the market to see the level of destruction.

It will be recalled that the auto spare parts market in Agodi, Ibadan, was razed by fire in the early hours of Saturday.
The inferno was said to have started from the tyre section of the market before it spread to other parts of the market.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Ibadan market fire: Makinde assures of palliatives for victims