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Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum has donated the sum of N200 million to the Abule Ado/Soba Emergency Relief Fund set up by the Lagos State Government in the aftermath of a deadly pipeline explosion.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on Monday announced a N2 billion appeal fund set up to assist the survivors of the Abule Ado explosion that killed scores and damaged a vast amount of property.
The state government had announced the donation of N250 million to the fund and solicited for support from all Nigerians including the private sector.
NGF Chairman Governor Kayode Fayemi led the delegation comprising his colleagues from Edo, Godwin Obaseki and Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, to the site of the incident in Lagos, where they are meant to do a review of the situation before reporting back to the house at their next meeting.
Fayemi expressed surprise that with the kind of devastation they saw, the casualty figure was low, adding that but for the prompt response, more lives would have been lost. He thanked God that more lives were not lost in the fire that devastated the area, the wreckage of which was compared to a “war zone” by Lagos State Governor Sanwo-Olu when he visited the scene a day after the explosion.
Fayemi said the sum of N200 million was donated on behalf of the state governors, adding that when they report their findings to the house there is the likelihood that the governors would make more donations according to each state’s capacity.
The NGF chairman blamed the explosion on the disagreement between states and Federal Government on the ownership of land.
While commending the Lagos State government for the attention given to the place, he promised that such issues would be addressed going forward.
He commended the Lagos State Government for the decision to take action and ensure that building on pipelines corridors is averted.
Fayemi, who spoke on behalf of all of the governors, expressed confidence that a more decent and modern community will evolve from the misfortune.
The governors expressed sympathy and commiserated with those who have lost loved ones and property in the incident.
Also in the delegation were the Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru, and the NGF’s Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo.
