TheCable

Seyi Makinde, Oyo state governor, on Sunday, visited the Agodi Gate auto spare parts market in Ibadan which was burnt down on Saturday.

Speaking during the visit on Sunday, the governor expressed shock over the loss of goods worth millions of naira.

Makinde said he would hold a meeting with leaders of the market to find common grounds on ways of resolving the challenges.

The governor also promised that his administration will come to the aid of victims of the inferno by providing palliatives within the shortest possible time.

He said: “I greet every one of you here this afternoon. I have seen the extent of destruction and I know how important this market is to the economy of Oyo State.

“I was here during the electioneering and interacted with you. I am still trying to process in my head the way forward but I want to let you know that the government will come to your aid.

“We won’t allow you to bear the brunt alone. So, I will ask the leadership to send your representatives. And by tomorrow (Monday), we will sit together and look at the immediate palliative we can do for you.

“The second thing is, I want all of you to go and think about it very well; is it time for us to move this market to a far more organized setting? “Please, think about it. Do we need to move this market to a better place that will be more comfortable and spacious for everyone to stay in? It is a decision that we need to all take together because I don’t want any reoccurrence of this in the state. And the only way for us to ensure that we don’t witness anything like this again is for us to sit down and think of a solution that will endure.”

He asked leaders of the market to start compiling the list of shop owners who were affected by the fire, adding that “within the next one or two weeks the state will make a decision on the market generally”.