The 36 states of the federation on the platform of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have donated the sum of N200 million to the Abule Ado/Soba Emergency Relief Fund set up by the Lagos State.
Recalled the Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on Monday announced N2 billion Appeal Fund set up for the Abule Ado explosion victims.
The state government had announced the donation of N250 million to the fund and solicited for support from all Nigerians including private sectors.
The chairman of NGF, 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 few lives than the devastation would have taken was lost.
Fayemi said the sum of N200 million was donated on behalf of the state governors adding that as the information gets back to the house, there is the likelihood that 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 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 the issue of building on pipelines corridors are averted.
Fayemi, who spoke on behalf of all of the governors, also expressed satisfaction that a more decent and modern community will evolve from the misfortune.
The governors sympathised and commiserated with those who lost loved ones and properties destroyed by the unfortunate incident and hope that this never occurs again.
Also in the delegation were the Director General of NGF, Asishana Okauru and NGF’s Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo.
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