Nobody died in Oyo NURTW building collapse ―Oyerinde

NO one was injured or died but valuable items were destroyed after part of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) secretariat collapsed on Saturday, chairman of the body, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (Fele) has said.

TribuneOnline gathered that the building sited at Olomi area collapsed during a downpour in the Ibadan metropolis.

Some of the residents in the area who spoke with Nigerian Tribune noted that the incident could be as a result of the heavy rain accompanied by a thunderstorm the previous night.

Affected was the Chairman’s office, Secretary’s office, Treasurer’s office, hall, parked 18-seater bus and TV sets, among other items.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, NURTW chairman in the state, Oyerinde said the incident did not claim any life as widely rumoured.

“This building was in good condition before the rain. In fact, we just painted the whole building and if it had been in a deteriorating condition, we would not have embarked on such project.

“Thank God that no life was lost. If it had been on a working day, it would have been another story.

I want to say categorically that what people are claiming was wrong. This incident didn’t claim any lives.

“We have already evacuated the union’s valuable items so as to allow engineers assess the extent of the damage.

“I just want to thank Governor Abiola Ajimobi for his message likewise the National President of our union, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin who visited the scene this morning (Monday). We also thank all members of this union in the South West for their encouragement and support in this trying period,” Oyerinde said.

Meanwhile, National President of NURTW, Yasin who led other executives of the union from Abuja to Ibadan, has since directed that the state’s union to move to its new secretariat under construction located at Ojoo area pending when the damaged building will be renovated.