The Executive Chairman of Ibadan South West Local Government, Hon. Kehinde Akande, on Friday visited the site of the fire incident at Bode Market, where he sympathised with affected herbs sellers, ofher marketers and assured them of government intervention.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Friday, razed several makeshift shops in the herbs section of the market, destroying large quantities of medicinal plants, barks, roots, and other traditional wares worth millions of naira.
Addressing traders during the on-the-spot assessment, Hon. Akande described the incident as “painful and unfortunate”, noting that many of the victims were small-scale business owners whose livelihoods depend solely on the market.
“This is a devastating loss for our mothers and fathers who have built their businesses here over the years. Government feels your pain,” Akande said. “On behalf of Ibadan South West Local Government, I sympathise with all the herbs sellers affected. We will not abandon you.”
The Chairman was received at the market by market leaders, traders’ associations. He toured the burnt sections alongside officials from the Oyo State Fire Service.
He disclosed that the council would work with the state government and relevant agencies to prevent future occurrences.
“We will engage other stakeholders to ensure you get support quickly. We are also looking at fire safety measures, access routes, and better market infrastructure so this does not repeat itself,” he added.
Some of the affected traders, who recounted losing their entire stock, expressed gratitude for the Chairman’s visit. Mrs. Alake Adepoju, a herbs seller for over 20 years, said: “We thank Hon. Akande for coming to see us. We are praying that government will help us start again.”
Hon. Akande was accompanied on the visit by the Council’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Hasan Bello, ,State Coordinator for Special Assistants to Local Goverment t Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon. Waris Adetunji as well as security personnel.
The council chairman has urged market traders to cooperate with officials conducting the damage assessment and to observe fire safety precautions as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
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