By Bukayo Agboluaje, Ibadan Â
Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Monday, chided a former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 polls, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for not reaching out to him despite the havoc wrecked by explosion in the Bodija area of Ibadan, on Tuesday, January 16,2024.
Makinde expressed the dismay while playing host to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 POLLS, Peter Obi, in his Agodi Secretariat Office, Ibadan.
The governor lamented that out of the three major presidential candidates in the 2023 elections, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Obi of LP have both reached out to commiserate with him and the people of the state except Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
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  presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election.
“I thank you, Â because politics didn’t sip into this. You came to commiserate with us over the explosion. Actually, investigation is still going on. It was simply illegal miners storing explosives in an environment where they shouldn’t be, a place where it is meant for people to live. It’s not a mining site.
“So, all the lapses that allowed such to happen are being looked into. 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. My own party candidate, not even a call or text message. I’m saying this openly so that our leaders would know that. You have time for politics; you have time for governance, and you have time for humanity. So, we want to  appreciate you for  this visit.
In his remarks, Obi commiserated  with Makinde and the people of the  state over the explosion.
He also  sent condolences to victims and families of those who lost their lives to the tragic blast, while praying God to comfort the bereaved families.
Obi lauded the governor for rising up swiftly and responsively to curtail the situation and showing what he said governance should be all about.
He said: “It is necessary that when things like what happened here in Ibadan happens, and 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 cut down on the cost of governance in order to preserve resources to address other critical areas requiring urgent attention, Obi said: “It’s a matter of sacrifice, elections are over, governance is the key thing and what is required is for me in particular is that we need to cut the cost of governance especially at the federal level.”
END