Ibadan explosion: School, businesses suffer losses
• Parents, others appeal to Makinde for assistance
AWEEK after an explosion rocked Bodija Estate, Ibadan, in the Oyo State capital, residents and property owners are still counting their losses. Apart from loss of life and injuries sustained, several buildings were impacted by the blast.
One of such buildings that recorded substantial damage is the Oba Akinbiyi Model College, situated along Mokola- Oyo Road Ibadan.
The college is about a mile and a half from the scene of the explosion. That it was badly impacted leaves one wondering what became of houses closer to the scene.
There are concerns that the structure of the buildings may have been compromised, considering the damage to the roof and ceilings.
When The Guardian visited the school on Monday, students were seen receiving lectures in a laboratory spotting shattered roofs and windows.
The ceilings of the building housing SS1 and SS2 classrooms were badly damaged. Some appeared ready to fall.
Also, parts of the staff room were badly affected. One teacher said they abandoned the office fearing the ceiling would drop on them.
Concerned parents, including teachers and other officials, while conducting journalists around the structure, called on Governor Seyi Makinde to take urgent steps to repair the school to prevent danger.
A parent said given the estimated 1,000- strong population, it is dangerous and unadvisable to allow students to continue studying under the condition.
Another parent, who claimed to be a construction expert, warned against overlooking the issue, stressing that the integrity of the structure might have been compromised due to the impact of the blast.
One of the students ( name withheld), said she was afraid to take lessons in the classroom.
Other buildings near the scene that were badly damaged include Providence Court, which houses the office of a major newspaper.
One of the occupants, Muyiwa Odenaike, who claimed he had been there in the last 40 years, said the window frames were shattered.
He said: “Since it’s a high- rise structure, we couldn’t say the extent of damage to the roofs and ceiling, unless there is an integrity test.”
Recounting their losses, some staff of Imo Transport Company besides Providence Court said seven of their vehicles were badly damaged.
Also affected was the building belonging to the Christ Apostolic Church. The blast destroyed the roof, ceiling, and interior of the building.
The storey building housing Guaranty Trust Bank, along MokolaOyo Road, was affected. But the damaged parts have been fixed.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Solid
Minerals, Dele Alake, who visited the scene, assured affected citizens that the federal and state governments would ensure the aftermath of the explosion is appropriately handled.
He also commended the government of Oyo State and especially Governor Seyi Makinde for his quick response, which he likened to how President Bola Tinubu, responded to the Ikeja Cantonment Bomb blast of 2001, when he ( Tinubu) was governor of Lagos State and he was the then Commissioner of Information and Strategy.
Alake said the disaster has reinforced belief that security and safety must be in the consciousness of every Nigerian and not necessarily security personnel alone.