Adebayo Adenrele
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has berated former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on his failure to show empathy over the recent explosion in Ibadan.
Makinde said this on monday when he received the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi in Ibadan who came to empathize with him over the explosion that occurred at Bodija Area of Ibadan recently.
The Governor blasted Atiku’s lack of empathy, saying it was “insensitive” for Atiku not to offer any condolence or even acknowledge the tragedy.”
He further noted, “Atiku’s silence sends a troubling message about his character and judgment.
“Let me use this opportunity to thank His Excellency, former governor of Anambra and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, for the visit.
“I thank him because politics didn’t seep into this. You came here to commiserate with us over the explosion. The investigation is going on. It was simply illegal miners storing explosives in an environment where they shouldn’t be.
“It is a place where it’s meant for people to live in. It’s not a mining site. So, all the lapses that allowed such to happen have been looked into.
“I am particularly grateful because the musketeers that went for the presidential election have reached out to me. The President has called me, and you have reached out to me. But my party candidate (Atiku Abubakar) has not called or even sent a text message.
“And I am saying it openly so that our leaders will know that there is time for politics. You have a time for governance and you have a time for humanity. So, we want to say thank you so much, sir. We appreciate this visit,” Makinde said.
Earlier, Obi said his visit was to pay condolence to the governor and the people of the state over the recent explosion.
“Through the governor, we want to extend our condolences to the bereaved families and to all those who lost their valuable property in the incident and to assure them of our prayers that God will grant those who lost their lives eternal rest.
“And we want to thank the government for its prompt response. That is what governance has to be.”
