Victims of Tuesday’s fire incident at Aleshinloye Market, Ibadan, have clarified that about 90 people, and not 500 as reported in some sections of the media, were affected by the incident.
The Oyo State Government has directed the victims to cooperate with the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (Oyo SEMA) for a full enumeration and verification of those affected.
The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, gave this directive on Friday when he hosted the Plastic and Cooler Sellers from Aleshinloye Market, who were mostly affected by the fire. He noted that the government could only rely on figures from the victims since they know one another.
The Deputy Governor directed Oyo SEMA to embark on a full enumeration and verification of victims to obtain a credible figure. He warned the victims to be cautious about whom they speak with and how they present facts to avoid confusing the system.
He reiterated that the state government would provide support to the victims and stated that bulldozers had already been deployed to the site to clear the rubble and restore order.
Lawal maintained that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s administration is a listening government that will cooperate with the victims to make life comfortable for them.
He warned those politicizing the tragic loss suffered by Alesinloye traders to reconsider, noting that it is unreasonable and unethical to play politics with disaster.
He said: “Once again, the Oyo State Government sympathizes with you. I said this three days ago that we are thankful no lives were lost. As a government, we commiserate with you.
“When something like this happens, people begin to say many things, many of which are untrue. It is already happening. The Oyo State Government under Governor ‘Seyi Makinde focuses on the well-being of the governed. The government exists to make life comfortable for everyone, not to cause hardship.
“I told you that this government listens. If you bring any complaint to us, we will always seek a way to address it. The incident at Aleshinloye is sad, but we will work with you to resolve it.
“If you see anyone making unfounded statements about this incident, that person is being unreasonable. No one prays for this kind of disaster. We cannot play politics with such a tragedy. Some of the comments being made in certain quarters are inappropriate.
“The unofficial figure being circulated is that 500 people were affected and that there were over 700 shops. But you have come here to say that about 85 people were affected. We cannot allow people to throw around unverified figures. You know yourselves, so we will rely on your figures, which will be verified by our team.
“Oyo SEMA will set up a center in the market where victims will provide their details, including phone numbers and shop numbers. This will allow the government to provide targeted assistance to those truly affected by the fire.”
Responding to the victims’ plea against the market’s demolition, the Deputy Governor stated that the immediate priority is addressing the aftermath of the fire, with other concerns to be addressed in due course. He assured that the government would keep traders informed about further developments.
Earlier, leaders of the Plastic and Cooler Section of Aleshinloye Market refuted claims that 500 shop owners were affected by the fire.
The Chairperson of the Plastic and Cooler Sellers Association in Aleshinloye Market, Mrs. Taiwo Lawal, who visited the Governor’s Office alongside the association’s immediate past chairperson, Mrs. Julianah Ayoola, and five others, expressed appreciation for the state government’s concern.
She said the victims were reassured after the Deputy Governor’s visit but urged the government not to demolish Aleshinloye Market. If redevelopment is planned, she pleaded that traders be allowed to rebuild their shops themselves.
While addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting, Mrs. Lawal said: “We are here to plead with the governor not to demolish our market.
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“He visited our market the day before yesterday and made promises, but yesterday, we saw bulldozers attempting to demolish some parts.
“Most of us slept at the market last night because we saw the bulldozers.
“So, we are here to plead with our governor to continue supporting us and other traders and to allow us to rebuild our shops ourselves.
“Today alone, we have cleared more than half of the fire-affected area. However, the government has informed us that the bulldozers were deployed only to clear the rubble and restore order.
“The Deputy Governor also assured us that the government would engage with us regarding the redevelopment of Aleshinloye Market. He noted that the state government, Ibadan South LCDA, Ibadan South-West Local Government, and the traders would hold discussions on the way forward.”
