Following the fire that gutted the headquarters of Fresh FM, Ibadan, and destroyed parts of it on Friday, August 15, the Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has sympathised with the chairman of the radio station, Dr Olayinka Joel Ayefele and the management, promising a renewed fire service delivery.
The governor, who arrived at the station on Saturday at about 7.30pm, noted that the incident, though sad, had become a wake-up call to the state government on emergency management and fire service response.
He said that he would sit with the headship of the Oyo State Fire Service with a view to rejigging the service to make it more effective.
Governor Makinde, who appreciated God that no life was lost to the inferno, promised that the state government would support the station towards ensuring that it does not stay off-air for long, as it has proved quite vital in providing information to residents.
He said: “What has happened here is a wake-up call, as far as response time is concerned. I believe if we had taken Oyo State Fire Agency to the level that we want it to be, this damage would not have been to this extent.
“I would be sitting with the Chairman of that Agency to see what we can do. We have a fire station here around Scout Camp. If it had been equipped to the level that they could handle this, they would have been here before the people at the Secretariat came. Those are things that I have seen and we have to work on.
“To the Chairman and Management of Fresh FM, I want to encourage you all. First, if you have this kind of situation, we have to be thankful to God that we didn’t lose any life.
“In terms of moving forward, I believe the state government and I will give support to them. They are very vital to informing our people. We won’t let the station close for an extended period of time. So, I give them that assurance.”
In his response, Dr Ayefele expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde, commending the promptness of his visit to the station, which according to him, showed he is a caring leader.
He equally appreciated all the fans of the radio station, including the first responders as well as others within and outside the country, calling on them to all join hands with him towards rebuilding the station.
Some of the facilities affected by the fire, it was learnt, included the Fresh FM Studio, the Blast FM Studio, the Newsroom, the Transmitter Room, the Blast FM GM’s Office, and the Fresh FM’s Assistant GM Office, among others.
