Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has commiserated with victims of recent fire incidents in the state with the promise to acquire modern fire-fighting equipment.
Makinde in a post on his official Twitter handle sympathised with the victims of the Akesan Market and promised to commence an investigation into the incident.
“I received with shock, the news of the fire outbreak at Oja Akesan in Oyo Town, in the early hours of this morning (Sunday morning). Words cannot convey my deep sadness at this incident and I sympathize with the victims. I appeal for calm as we investigate the circumstances around the unfortunate incident,” Makinde said.
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Meanwhile, the State’s Commissioner for Infrastructure, Transportation and Public Works, Raphael Afonja during an on-the-spot assessment of the fire-ravaged market vowed that 10 modern fire-fighting equipment will be acquired by the state government to combat the incessant outbreaks.
He added that the process that would lead to the acquisition of the equipment will commence on Monday.
Also, the Commissioner for Works was at the scene of the incident with the Commissioner for Environment, Kehinde Ayoola and the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health.
He lamented that Makinde inherited a Fire Service Department with weakened capacity as a result of obsolete equipment.
According to him, the incumbent Government in Oyo State had flagged off a process of rehabilitating the serviceable fire-fighting trucks so as to provide immediate service to the people.
He added that the process of rehabilitating the inherited trucks was still ongoing when the outbreak of fire incidents occurred.
Properties worth millions of naira were reported destroyed in an early Sunday morning fire outbreak in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.
In another incident, the popular Akesan market in Oyo town was also early Sunday morning leaving little or nothing to be salvaged.
These fire incidents follow a tragic fire accident that occurred last week Friday in Eyin Grammer area of Molete in Ibadan where three siblings were reported killed.