Oyo Blast: Gov. Seyi Makinde Thanks Peter Obi Visiting

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has praised Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, for visiting him.

Obi and some of his aides visited Makinde on Monday morning, Jan. 29, to express their condolences to the state following an explosion in Ibadan.

Makinde thanked Obi for taking the time to visit him in Ibadan and not letting political affiliation take precedence over humanity.

Makinde said: “I should use this opportunity on behalf of the good people of Oyo state, thank His Excellency, Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state and also the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election.

“I thank you because politics didn’t seep into this. You came to commiserate with us over the explosion. Actually, the investigation is still ongoing, it was simply illegal miners storing explosives in an environment where they shouldn’t be, a place where it’s meant for people to live, it’s not a mining site.

“So, all the lapses that allowed such to happen are being looked into.”

Makinde went on to say that despite being a member of his own party, the presidential candidate had yet to contact him.

Read Also: Two Dead, 77 Injured In Ibadan Explosion – Makinde

Makinde said: “I’m particularly grateful because the president called me, we have three musketeers that went for that election.

“The president has reached out to me, you have reached out to me, but my own party candidate, not even a call or text message, I mean I’m saying this openly so that our leaders would know that, yeah, you have time for politics, you have time for governance, and you have time for humanity, so, we want to say thank you so much, we appreciate this visit.”

In his statement, Peter Obi expressed his condolences to Governor Makinde and the people of Oyo state following the tragic explosion that rocked Ibadan.

The former governor of Anambra state also expressed condolences to the victims and relatives of those killed in the unfortunate blast and prayed to God to comfort the bereaved families.

Obi also praised Governor Makinde for acting quickly and responsively to alleviate the crisis and demonstrate what he believes governance should be all about.

Obi said: “It is necessary that when things like what happened here in Ibadan happens, and the government responds in a manner government should respond, that everybody come to participate and commend them for doing the right thing and that we all do the right thing.”

Speaking on the need to reduce the cost of governance in order to free up resources to address other critical areas that require immediate attention, Obi stated: “It’s a matter of sacrifice; elections are over, governance is the key thing, and what is required is for me, in particular, that we cut the cost of governance, especially at the federal level.”

Obi emphasised the importance of prioritising essential areas such as education, health care, and poverty alleviation.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli