Makinde visits burnt auto spare parts market, pledges palliatives for traders

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has visited the Agodi Gate auto spare parts market in Ibadan which was gutted by fire on Friday.

Several shops and properties were destroyed on April 3 after a fire razed the largest auto parts market in Ibadan and the Araromi market at Agodi Gate.

Traders wailed as the fire which started in the early hours of Saturday raged on for many hours.

But the governor, who inspected the market alongside top government functionaries, expressed shock over the loss of goods worth millions of Naira.

He said he was in the market to assess the extent of damage done by the fire incident, promising that his administration will come to the aid of victims of the inferno by providing palliatives for them.

“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,” Makinde 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.

“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.”