The Oyo State Acting Governor, Barrister Abdulraheem Adebayo Lawal, on Monday visited the Jankara Iso Arobo Market in Oranyan, Ibadan, following the fire incident that razed parts of the market on Sunday night.
In a statement signed by Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor of Oyo State, Lawal sympathised with traders who lost goods and property in the inferno and assured them of the state government’s intervention and support.
The Acting Governor was accompanied by the Commissioner for Trade, Investments and Cooperatives, Prof. Salihu Adelabu; Commissioner for Information and Public Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade; as well as officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Lawal, who was received by the Babaloja-General of Oyo State, Alhaji Yekeen Abbas, alongside other market leaders, expressed concern over the scale of destruction and pledged a thorough assessment to determine the cause and extent of the fire.
He, however, expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost despite the magnitude of the incident. According to him, available accounts indicated that the fire started at about 10:00 p.m. on Sunday and continued until the early hours of Monday.
The Acting Governor explained that the purpose of the visit was to commiserate with the affected traders, assess the situation firsthand and obtain accurate information on the number of stalls and people affected.
Lawal said the involvement of NEMA and SEMA officials, alongside relevant commissioners, would facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the damage and enable the government to make appropriate recommendations for assistance from both the state and federal governments.
He added that the state government would work closely with the Babaloja-General and market leaders to compile accurate data on the affected traders and identify the specific support required by the victims.
The Acting Governor assured the traders that the government would not leave them to face the aftermath of the disaster alone, stressing that the assessment and data collection would guide the provision of appropriate intervention to cushion the impact of the fire.
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