The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has urged Governor Seyi Makinde to improve the state’s fire service infrastructure following a series of destructive market fires.
The most recent incident occurred on Tuesday night at Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, resulting in the loss of properties worth millions of naira.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, the APC’s Publicity Secretary, expressed sympathy for the affected traders and stressed the urgent need for the state government to upgrade its fire safety mechanisms.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the many traders and others in the popular Aleshinloye Market who lost so much in money and property as a result of the unfortunate Tuesday night fire incident, even as such cases have become a recurring decimal across the state in recent times,” Sadare stated.
Sadare criticized the administration’s handling of emergency services, noting that the Oyo State Fire Service has repeatedly been unable to respond effectively to emergencies due to inadequate equipment.
“While we sympathise with all the victims, there is a dire need to challenge the Makinde administration on their approach to issues of safety, accident prevention and management in the state.”
“We appeal to Governor Makinde to empower the state fire service department and ensure that adequate manpower is available for its operations in every part of the state.”
“It is equally important for the state to prioritise safety measures such as orientation and education of members of the public on how to prevent fire incidents everywhere at all times.”
“Also, we demand detailed information on the 10 fire fighting trucks believed to have been paid for and imported from Turkey in 2020 while measures must be put in place to arrest the unabated trend of inferno and related disasters in the state.”
According to him, credible reports indicated that the Tuesday night fire continued for several hours without intervention from the fire service because of a lack of essential tools.
The APC further raised concerns over the status of ten firefighting trucks reportedly acquired from Turkey in 2020, questioning their availability and operational condition.
Sadare demanded transparency from the government, stating, “We demand detailed information on the 10 firefighting trucks believed to have been paid for and imported from Turkey in 2020, while measures must be put in place to arrest the unabated trend of infernos and related disasters in the state.”
