Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, has assured that the Federal Government would make public the report of the forensic analysis and investigation into last Tuesday’s explosion in Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Precisely, Alake assured of meticulous investigation, and authentication to be followed by efficient implementation of the report on the incident.
Acknowledging public interest in the circumstances surrounding the incident, Alake said the report was not such that government would sit on but would be made a public document.
Alake gave the assurance on Monday during a courtesy call on Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan.
Calling for calm pending the release of the investigative report, Alake assured that justice would be done to the perpetrators, while succour would be provided to the victims.
Though he didn’t give a timeframe on conclusion of investigation, the minister said at the current pace, the report of the investigation would be released in no distant time.
He said: “The governor has done a yeoman’s job. He has done very commendably in terms of speed in his response to this unfortunate incident. The president is impressed; we are all impressed.
“On our part, we would allow the investigating agencies, various intelligence agencies to conclude the forensic analysis before we make any categorical, verifiable, authentic statement on the issue.
“All the corollary issues attending this will be answered at the end of investigation and everybody will be well informed.
“We can’t put a timeframe but at the speed they have started, it will be shorter than you think. We won’t sit on it.
“This is not the kind of report anybody will sit on. Government will not sit on any honest report or investigative analysis. It will be public document and people will be kept abreast of it.
“We are drawing from the experience we had on a larger magnitude, in Lagos, in 2002, the Ikeja cantonment blast when our current president was governor and I was commissioner under him then.
“At that time, it was the state government that bore the brunt of it all. We are drawing from the wealth of experience in approaching all these things.
“Whatever the report says, it will be meticulous, authenticated and efficiently implemented. At the end, justice will be done, not just to the victims but to the perpetrators, culprits and whatever assistance that needs to be given to the Oyo State government, the president won’t hesitate to provide.”
Speaking, Governor Makinde called for patience, saying a lot still needed to be done to conclude the ongoing investigation.
At the moment, he said forensic pathologists were continuing their investigation into the incident, while security agencies and other agencies continued to secure the site of the incident.
Makinde added that the state government deemed it imperative to extend the temporary accommodation given victims while engineers were expanding the number of buildings to experience structural integrity tests.
At the weekend, the governor presented the report of the explosion to President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The president had earlier commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State following the incident, while he also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA “to work with the Oyo State government to offer immediate and comprehensive relief to the victims.
President Tinubu had equally called on all concerned agencies of government to quickly unravel the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
Meanwhile, presidents of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) have thrown their weights behind the people and government of Oyo State over the explosion.
They sympathised with the victims and reiterated that individuals who took a policy will be indemnified by their insurance companies but expressed doubt on the buildings that were affected by the explosives.
In an exclusive chat with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, Prince Babatunde Oguntade, president of the NCRIB, pointed out that insurers would seize the opportunity to intensify and deepen efforts in creating awareness on the need for people to take insurance coverage.
Also, the president of the CIIN, Edwin Igbiti, said: “Any insured that has an insurance cover among those who are involved will be adequately compensated, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy issued and purchased.”