Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday castigated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for showing no empathy for victims of the Ibadan explosions
Five people died, 77 injured and 58 buildings damaged, rendering hundreds of people homeless as a result of the blast from illegal mining explosives.
Speaking when he received former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi who visited to condole with him on the incident, Makinde said: “You came here to commiserate with us over the explosion. Actually, 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 had 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. You have reached out to me. But my own 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.”
But Atiku, through his spokesman Paul Ibe, said he sent his condolence to the government, people and the victims, contrary to what the governor said.
