Senator Kola Balogun has expressed appreciation to the Federal Goverment for presentation of relief materials to victims of the fire disaster that occured at the Araromi Agodi Automobile Spare Parts Dealers Market, Ibadan, Oyo State.
It would be recalled that over 500 spare parts traders were affected by the massive fire incident which occured on April 2, 2021, at the popular market located in Ibadan North East Local Government Area.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Dapo Falade, it was made known that Senator Balogun, who donated N1 million as a relief package to the affected traders when the incident occured, facilitated the intervention of the government at the federal level.
This resulted in the Federal Government presenting relief materials comprising food and building items to the victims of the fire incident on Monday, February 21, 2022, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The food items included hundreds of 10kg bags of rice and beans, kegs of 20-litre vegetable oil, cartons of tomato paste, 300 bags of cement (50kg), 300 pieces of ceiling board, 300 bundles of roofing sheets, 150 bags of 3″ nails (25kg) and 150 packets of zinc nails.
“On behalf of the affected traders and the people of Oyo South Senatorial District, I want to thank the Federal Government and the Oyo State government for this intervention.
“Nobody will be happy when things like this happen. But one good thing about the fire disaster is that it would bring about greater and positive development to the market.
“When the incident happened, I wrote to three authorities concerned with handling such a disaster and I was always getting in touch with them on the need for the intervention of the government at the federal level.
“The result of my intervention is what we are seeing today. I am not doing you any favour. I am only doing what you people sent me, as your representative, to do.
“At the federal level, there are lots of opportunities and facilities available for the people. But accessing these opportunities and facilities is the problem.
“However, as your representative, I will continue to work to ensure that you get all want you are entitled to and deserved from the Federal Goverment.
“Ibadan is the capital of the South-West. It is a home to several higher institutions and research and training institutes. Hence, it deserves more federal presence.
“We are working for the final elevation of the Ibadan Airport to an international standard. I want to assure you that the Araromi Agodi Automobile Spare Parts Dealers’ Market would be one of those that would be turned into an international market by the Federal Goverment,” Senator Balogun said.
Making a symbolic presentation of the relief materials to the affected traders, the zonal coordinator of NEMA, Mr Saheed Akinyode, said that the Federal Goverment was sad when the fire incident occurred.
He, however, said the incident had turned out to be a blessing in disguise as, according to him, the Federal Goverment had assured that the market would be transformed into an international one.
Mr Akinyode acknowledged the intervention of Senator Balogun in facilitating the relief materials and urged the beneficiaries to put them into good use.
Some of the people present at the event included Asiwaju Omilabu Gandhi; chairman of Ibadan North-East Local Government Area, Alhaji Isiaka Fatokun; secretary of Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) and traditional chiefs from the local council, among others.
