By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Some Senators yesterday commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State over the Tuesday explosion in Ibadan.
They are, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa; the Chairman of the Committee on Privatisation, Senator Orji Kalu and his counterpart from Abia Central Senatorial District, Senator Austin Akobundu.
They described the incident as sad and devastating.
The state Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, had said preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by the explosives stored in a residential building by an illegal miner.
The incident led to the destruction of over 100 houses, left three people dead, and injured about 80 others.
In his reaction to the unfortunate development, in a statement on Thursday, Musa stressed the need for security agencies to invest heavily in Intelligence gathering.
He noted that the incident could have been avoided if residents had offered useful information to the security agents before now.
He said it was high time governments at national and sub-national levels came up with legislation that would impose heavier sanctions against possession of explosives and illegal mining.
He said, “This is one incident too many. The government at all levels, security agencies, and the people have roles to play to avert future occurrences. We need to be proactive in dealing with the situation.
“The people should be more vigilant and show a keen interest in whatever that is going on around them while security agencies should encourage residents to speak up whenever they discover strange movements within their communities.
“Government should also come up with legislation that would discourage anyone from either possessing explosives or even engaging in illegal mining.”
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Kalu, in a statement in Abuja, also expressed sadness over the painful incident, which was attributed to the activities of illegal miners.
He urged the government to commence a full-scale investigation into the sad development in a bid to forestall future occurrences.
He said, “I received with shock the news of the explosion in Ibadan on Tuesday. It is depressing considering the lives that were lost and the injured victims.
“Government must bring to book the perpetrators of the ugly incident to prevent future occurrence.”
Akobundu said he was shocked by the news of the blast and said such a tragic incident was shattering especially at this critical time when families are struggling to survive the harsh economic situation in the country.
He said, “I commend Governor Makinde for his characteristic people-first response in immediately visiting the scene of the incident and providing assistance and comfort to the victims through prompt evacuation.
“I also commend him for the prompt payment of medical bills for the wounded, emergency accommodation for the displaced, and guaranteed government support to all those affected by the blast.
“Equally commendable is Governor Makinde’s proactive steps for inquiries into the cause of the explosion to bring the culprits to book and ensure that such disaster does not reoccur in the State.”
