Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has pledged support for traders who lost properties in the fire outbreak that ravaged the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan in the early hours of Wednesday.
The governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, expressed the government’s sympathy during an on-the-spot assessment of the incident.
Governor Makinde assured the victims that the government would assess the level of damage and provide immediate support once a full report was received.
He directed the Ibadan South-West Local Government and the LCDA to ensure adequate security at the market and prepare a comprehensive report on the cause of the fire. Market leaders were also urged to enumerate the number of affected shops.
“On behalf of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, I have come here today to commiserate with you over the sad incident. We thank God that no life was lost.
“This is a big and popular market. It is so painful. Please, rest assured that the government will do the needful in terms of immediate support. It is our prayer that such will not happen again,” Makinde said.
He highlighted the destructive nature of the fire, which spread rapidly due to the nature of the goods in the market.
“We have come and seen and we have also met with market men and women. The fire was aggravated because of the kind of trade (plastic business). So, you can expect that it would spread like a wildfire. Nevertheless, we thank God Almighty that no life was lost.”
The deputy governor further assured that the government would act swiftly to provide relief through the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (Oyo SEMA) and collaborate with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and public-spirited individuals.
“As a government, we will do the needful in terms of immediate support through the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (Oyo SEMA). We will also work with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as well as public-spirited people to give immediate support to the victims of this incident.”
Lawal reiterates the market’s importance to commerce in the state, noting that traders come from neighboring countries like Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, and Niger Republic. He assured that the government would take appropriate action.
“We will be waiting for a comprehensive report on the cause of the fire and the level of losses. This is a market that is central to commercial activities in Oyo State. People come all the way from Benin Republic, Ivory Coast and Niger Republic to trade here. So, the state government will do something.”
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