The Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has criticised Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for his silence on the recent Ibadan explosion.
Makinde criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), chieftain while receiving the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.
Obi paid a condolence visit to Makinde in his office on Monday.
Makinde slammed Atiku’s lack of sensitivity, calling it “insensitive” for him to not offer condolences or even acknowledge the tragedy.
He further stated that Atiku’s silence conveys a worrying message about his character and judgement.
Makinde said: “Let me use this opportunity to thank His Excellency, former governor of Anambra and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Obi, for the visit.
“I thank him because politics didn’t seep into this. You came here to commiserate with us over the explosion. Actually, the investigation is going on. It was simply illegal for miners to store explosives in an environment where they shouldn’t be.
“It is a place where it’s meant for people to live. 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, and 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. So, we want to say thank you so much, sir. We appreciate this visit,” Makinde said.
Earlier, Obi stated that his visit was to pay condolences to the governor and the people of the state over the recent explosion.
“Through the governor, we want to extend our condolences to the bereaved families and to all those who lost their valuable property in the incident and to assure them of our prayers that God will grant those who lost their lives eternal rest.
“And we want to thank the government for its prompt response. That is what governance has to be.”
Speaking on the country’s economic situation and its impact on the people, Obi advocated for a reduction in the cost of federal governance as a necessary sacrifice to move the country ahead.
“All of us are now involved, and all of us should work hard and make the necessary sacrifices to see that we turn around the situation. That is why it is necessary that when things that happen here happen, the government responds in a manner that the government should respond, and everybody comes to participate and commend them for doing the right thing.
“It’s a matter of sacrifice. Today, elections are over. Governance is the key thing, and what is required of me is to cut down on the cost of governance, especially at the federal level. It is unacceptable the way it is going.
“We need to prioritise critical areas such as education, health, and pulling people out of poverty,” he said.
