Ibadan explosion: Market leader wants compensation

FOLLOWING last Saturday’s explosion of a fuel
tanker that claimed no fewer than 15 lives at the popular
Molete market in Ibadan, the Babaloja of the market, Mr.
Wahab Bolarinwa, has called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi to
evacuate all street traders in the area.
According to him, the traders contributed to the casualty
figures in the accident.
Governor Ajimobi had moved traders away from the
roadsides but this was used against him by the affected
traders and opposition parties. Apparently because of the
fear of being voted out in the 2015 elections, the governor
has relaxed his urban renewal policy.
The market leader also pleaded with the government to
construct speed breakers on the Molete fly-over up to the
market area to reduce the speed of vehicles.
Bolarinwa who spoke at an interdenominational service
held at the market said that normal transactions at the
market which was suspended last Sunday will resume
today.
During the prayer session, Moslems, Christians and
traditional worshippers said prayers according to their
beliefs although the prayer points were on the repose of the
soul of the dead and those who lost property in the accident.
Mr. Dan Onwuo, Mr. Salami Jogunosimi , Mr. Isiaka
Yakubu (Hausa leader in the community) as well as Alhaja
Iswat Abiola Oyinlola, lamented that for the past thirty
years  that the market had been in existence, it had not
recorded  such accident.
They all called on government to reduce the trauma of the
families of the deceased and those who suffered material
loss by giving them compensation.