On Friday, the administration of Oyo State gave N20 million in checks to traders who lost money due to fires in four different markets in the city of Ibadan.
In the ministry’s conference room, Hon. Mrs. Toyin Balogun, the commissioner for women’s affairs and social inclusion, presented the checks and gave the assurance that the government would do everything in its power to support the poor and disadvantaged in the pursuit of economic stability and healthy living.
State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, according to Hon. Balogun, is a listening governor and a peacemaker who works to improve the lives of the people by empowering them to support the state’s economy.
According to the Commissioner, the governor gave his approval for the distribution of funds to victims of fires that occurred in four markets a few months ago.
Assuring that other impacted markets will also gain from the intervention, she identified the benefiting traders as those from the Gbaremu, Sango Ojurin, Oranyan, and Oke-Itunu markets, citing them as the initial stages of the intervention.
During the presentation, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, Chief Bose Adedibu, the Southwest Woman leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Babatunde Tijani, Chief Ashipa Ismaila, and Chief Mrs. Juliana Raimi, the Asiwaju Oloja General of Oyo State, all expressed their gratitude for the state government’s initiative in separate goodwill messages.
They emphasized that making these traders happy will translate into making their dependents happy as well.
The recipients were also urged by the party leaders to use the funds to resurrect their companies and provide guidance to avoid avoidable fire outbreaks in the marketplaces.
Through their market leaders, who were counseled to ensure that all registered victims received the money owed to them, a total of N20 million checks were given to the impacted fire victims.
Each of the four marketplaces attested to receiving alerts in their bank accounts that matched the precise amounts shown on the checks that were shown to them.
Some of the recipients, including Chief (Mrs.) Borode Omotayo of the Iya Loja Ibadan North local government and Mrs. Rasidat Ahmed of Oranyan Market, conveyed their happiness and gratitude to the state government for keeping their suffering in mind.
They prayed that God would continue to grant the governor the discernment he needs to properly administer the state.