The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of failing to secure the lives and property of residents in the state.
In a statement by the state publicity secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC demanded thorough investigations to unravel the cause of Tuesday’s explosion and also bring the culprits to book.
The APC queried Governor Makinde on the efficacy of his efforts on security adding that there was no intelligence report on the activities of some “custodians of weapons of mass destruction” right behind the Office of the Governor.
The statement reads: “It was an emergency situation and the whole city had been thrown into palpable fear since the social media has been littered with rumours and half-truths.
“So, the governor should have admitted that he failed in the area of security because a proactive and efficient security architecture would not give room for such devastating explosions right behind the Governor’s Office. Who are the illegal miners who live and keep bombs in a high-brow area such as Bodija without the knowledge of the powers-that-be?
“The unfortunate incident also exposed the state government as lacking the capacity to offer a quick and efficient response to emergency situations because we all saw what happened as only the federal government-funded agencies and some private organizations were able to act well to rescue many people who were trapped in the rubbles of collapsed structures.
“We therefore urge Gov. Makinde to prioritize training of officials on emergency and rescue operations, purchase of relevant equipment and fortification of the state Department of Fire Service for obvious reasons.
“As much as we are saddened by the development, we sympathize with all the victims of the disaster especially those who lost their loved ones and others whose valued properties and vehicles got destroyed.
“Lastly, we call on both the federal government and the PDP administration in the state to carry out independent investigations with a view to getting to the bottom of what led to the lethal explosions as well as those responsible for it and also ensure that all culprits are brought to justice.”
