The Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has opined that the state government would launch an emergency fund to address disasters and emergencies in the state.
He said this on Thursday when he visited the scene of the Ibadan fire incident that razed some shops in Dugbe market, on Wednesday.
The governor, who described the incident as unfortunate, maintained that the State would find means, despite the challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, to give palliatives to those that were affected by the inferno.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Makinde commiserated with the victims of the Dugbe inferno and promised to get to the roots of the incident.
Scene Of Ibadan Fire Outbreak
He, however, stated that there was the need for the State to have a Disaster Management Endowment Fund that will address such unforeseen contingencies.
He said: “I commiserate with the people that are affected. At such a time like this, this is the least of the things that we expect because we still are battling with COVID-19 and its social and economic impacts.
“So, we believe there is a need for the State to have an endowment fund for disasters. If such an endowment exists, right now, we would have given an immediate palliative to the people concerned.
“Meanwhile, we will try our best to see what we can do within the challenges we are facing.”
He also admonished shop owners and residents of the State to always apply precautions and safety measures within their environments to avert unforeseen circumstances.
Also speaking during the governor’s inspection tour, one of the victims, Mr Dapo David, said that the primary cause of the inferno was not yet known, contrary to speculation doing the round that it occurred while a welder was working on partitioning one of the shops.
