Oyo Fire Incident: PDP Berates Ajimobi, APC Over Poor State of Fire Service, Urges Makinde to Conclude Probe of Past Administration

The Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has berated the immediate past All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state for not equipping the state’s Fire Service with functional firefighting trucks and equipment.

Reacting to last Sunday’s fire incident that ravaged the Akesan Market in Oyo East local government area of the state,the State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, in a statement issued on Tuesday decried the poor state of the firefighting equipment in the state inherited by the Governor Seyi Makinde administration which he attributed to the corruption in the immediate past administration.

Olatunji said the last time the state procured firefighting equipment was during the administration of former governor Rashidi Ladoja. The statement while commending some officials of the state government and the affected local government’s caretaker chairman, Prince Arowosaye Saheed Adeyemi for their prompt response, commiserated with the victims of the incident.

“Is it not wickedness for an APC government who claimed to have spent billions of taxpayers money not to be able to acquire a single fire truck in 8 years thereby endangering lives of millions of Oyo State citizens?

“Although fire disaster is a natural occurrence but can be curtailed with adequate equipments on ground unlike the old fire trucks and equipments bought last during former Governor Rashidi Ladoja administration in 2006.

“We are unmindful of needs to upgrade the fire fighting techniques and equipments to conform with modern day technology and that’s why Governor Seyi Makinde in this year budget is determine to do the needful for the smooth operation of Oyo State fire services.

“That the Caretaker Chairmen in Oyo land like Hon Olukitipi, Hon Saheed Arowosaye Arosad and others were on ground with the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Bisi Ilaka, Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Rt. Hon Kehinde Ayoola, Honourable Commissioner for Works, Professor Raphael Afonja, Honourable Commissioner for Energy, Bar Seun Ashamu, OYSROMA Chairman, Hon Kamil Akinlabi Prince Adebayo Adeyemi under the effective coordinate of the State Deputy Governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan, who is holding brief for Governor Seyi Makinde and this is enough to show the seriousness that Governor Seyi Makinde attached to the unfortunate incidence.

“PDP as a party believe that the purchase of the 10 Fire fighting trucks and equipments to replace the obsolete equipments bought 14 years ago as approved in 2020 budget will go a long way to combat fire incidence in future.

“However, the party is urging Governor Seyi Makinde to tidy up investigations into the established corruption allegations against officials of the immediate past APC led administration in other to serve as deterrent to unscrupulous people in future as the inability of the Oyo State Fire Fighter Service was as a results of corruption in the APC led administration which eventually crippled Fire Service that is now being revived by Governor Seyi Makinde led PDP government” the statement said.