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By DADA AYOKHAI
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has conveyed the sympathy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to victims and families of traders who lost shops and valuables in the Oluku fire incident, promising to rebuild the market and support the affected traders.
A tanker explosion occurred in Oluku, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, on Thursday while the First Lady was in Edo as a guest of the state government. The incident left 11 people, including a pregnant woman, with varying degrees of burns, while five people were feared dead.
The injured victims were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where they are receiving treatment.
Governor Okpebholo gave the assurance on Friday after inspecting the damage at the market, located along the Benin-Lagos Road in Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
The governor expressed sadness over the incident, saying the disaster could have been avoided, and assured the traders that his administration would not abandon them.
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“I spoke to the First Lady this morning, and she expressed her sadness over what happened yesterday,” he said.
Governor Okpebholo urged residents to stay away from scenes of fire disasters involving petrol to prevent further casualties.
“We are sorry. We, as human beings, should also take precautions whenever something like this happens. Before the explosion, people were scooping fuel.
“But the state and federal governments have spent a lot of money on advertisements to educate the public to stay away from such disasters, but people won’t listen,” he said.
The governor also criticised the owner of the affected tanker for bringing another tanker to transfer the fuel without taking the necessary safety precautions.
“The owner of the affected tanker also brought another tanker to evacuate the fuel, which is very wrong. If this had not happened, there would not have been any fire incident.
“This is the result of it. We are sorry; it is not our making. We pray God keeps us alive,” he said.
Governor Okpebholo also visited the burns and plastic ward of the Accident and Emergency Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where some victims were receiving treatment.
Addressing the parents of the victims at the hospital, the governor reiterated the need for residents to heed safety warnings on the dangers of scooping fuel.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to rebuilding the market and helping the affected traders recover their livelihoods.
The UBTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, conducted Okpebholo alongside his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa, former Edo governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Senator Matthew Urhoghide around the hospital facilities to see the victims receiving treatment.
Okpebholo Sympathises With Oluku Tanker Explosion Victims, Promises To Rebuild Market
