Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, Chairman of the Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA), has described Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as a compassionate leader with a heart for the people.
Bamgbose, who spoke against the backdrop of the January 16, 2024, explosion that rocked Bodija in Ibadan and the response of the Oyo State Government to the calamity in an interview with The People’s Verdict, said many states in the country have a lot to learn about emergency management from Oyo State.
He said, “The immediate response of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde to the Bodija explosion is indeed commendable. Similar incidents occur elsewhere, and it takes their governor about two days to arrive. We appreciate the fact that the governor showed up that night.
“The thing happened after 7pm, and around 10pm the governor was at the scene. Apart from the fact that some of his aides arrived within the hour, we don’t know how they did it. So, it is commendable. It is not just a matter of proximity; it is a matter of the heart. There could be reasons not to go there.
“At the time it happened, for a number of hours, no one was sure what had happened. There were various speculations and theories; some claimed a petrol station had exploded, others suggested it was a gas station, while others believed it was a building or a mall that had collapsed. So, there were different theories. With that level of uncertainty, for the number one man in the state to visit the scene of an occurrence like that, I believe it is commendable.”
Bamgbose added, “The first responders, the security people, were there. I tell you, that night, there could have been pilfering, breaking into houses, and plundering. There were indeed people who came around who wanted to attempt such a thing. Therefore, security measures were implemented. The governor went on air to appeal to hospitals to take people and treat them, saying that the government would be responsible. He also appealed to hotels to accommodate people that the government would be responsible for. It was commendable that people got adequate attention; they got care, and they could sleep somewhere. That night, if anybody couldn’t get a house to sleep in, they could get into a hotel and sleep.”
The Bodija Estate Residents Association chairman noted that with the handling of the explosion and its aftermath, Oyo State had set a template for emergency management in the country.
He said, “Many other states need to come and study what happened in Oyo State and how we tracked it. I heard one man in the bomb disposal squad saying he was surprised at the level of casualty. He thought that they would be carrying corpses with wheelbarrows. He was surprised that we could count the number of people that died.”
Pastor Bamgbose, a former President of Junior Chamber International Nigeria, added: “I believe that the country can learn from the Pacesetter State, as we call ourselves in Oyo State, that emergency management is something that needs to be improved upon. The country has a lot to learn from Oyo State. You find out that what was done in Oyo State is far more comfortable and also more effective. There was no complaint of neglect or favouritism, like usually happens when you have a mass emergency like this.”
Bamgbose, while expressing the appreciation of the victims to Governor Makinde and the state government for the support given to those affected by the explosion, said, “As we speak, the majority of the people have got support. It’s done in stages, in groups. The good thing is that every day, someone calls to say, ‘I have got my own money,’ which is encouraging.
“On a general note, the governor means well for the people; he has a heart for the people, as we say in Yoruba, ‘ile oba t’ojo, ewa lo bukun.’ So, some people eventually have a better place. A vast majority of the people appreciate what the government has done for them.”
Providing an update on the Governor’s promise to fix Bodija roads, Bamgbose said, “The road construction is ongoing now. If you drive around Bodija, you will see the construction team at work. They did the Awolowo and Osuntokun first; they are now getting into the inner roads. The roads are being done with drainage. So, that is likely going to prolong their life.”
Pastor Bamgbose added, “The governor is compassionate. What we see, not just in this case but in other cases, is someone who genuinely cares for people and acts based on their feelings for those individuals. I know the hurdles we had to cross in our committee. If the governor hadn’t stepped in or taken action, I know we could still be facing several unresolved issues. I know he has a heart for people. You can see how salaries are paid, so he doesn’t want people to suffer. At one point, we were informed that the committee had to complete its work because the governor wanted it done quickly, so that people could resume their lives. So, he is compassionate.”
