Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, Chairman of Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA), has described Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, as a compassionate leader who has a heart for the people.
Bamgbose, who spoke against the backdrop of the January 16, 2024 explosion which rocked Bodija in Ibadan and the response of 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. Things similar to that happen elsewhere and it takes their governor about two days to get there. 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 there were some of his aides that got there within the hour, how they did it we don’t know. 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 come there.
“At the time it happened, for a number of hours, no one was sure what had happened. There were all kinds of speculations and theories; some said a petrol station had exploded, some said it was a gas station, some said it was a building or a mall that came down. 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 told 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. So, security was put in place. The governor went on air to appeal to hospitals to take people and treat them, so that the government would be responsible; he also appealed to hotels to accommodate people so that the government would be responsible. 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, 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 casualties. He thought that they would be carrying corpses with wheelbarrows. He was surprised that we could count the number of people who 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 it is also more effective. There was no complaint of neglect or favouritism like it 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, somebody 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 feels for people and acts based on what he feels for the people. I know the hurdles we had to cross in our committee. If the governor didn’t step in or get involved or do something about it, I know we could still have been dragging on several 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 a point in time, we were told the committee had to finish its work because the governor wanted it done quickly so that people could pick up their lives again. So, he is compassionate.”
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