The Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon.Olamide Oladiji has described the fire outbreak which occurred today at Ondo East Local Government Secretariat, Bolorunduro and Ondo State Emergency Medical Service Agency (ODEMSA) in Bolorunduro as unfortunate.
Speaking during a visit to the scenes of the inferno, the Speaker described the incident as a big damage to the entire Local Government, calling on the appropriate authority to carry out necessary investigation into the unprecedented fire outbreak in order to know its immediate and remote causes.
“This Local Government belongs to all of us and it’s our property.when we begin to set our property on fire,it means the beginning of the end.It means we don’t value what we have,”he said.
While expressing displeasure over the rate at which some unscrupulous individuals went about to destroy some belongings of the Local Government, Oladiji warned that anybody caught would be made to face the full wrath of the law
Earlier, the Lawmaker representing Ondo East and West in the Federal Constituency, Hon.Abiola Makinde described the incidence as unusual and strange.
According to him,”we are so unhappy with what happened.The Local Government and the community is affected.This is a very terrible thing to have happened to this peaceful Local Government.”
Speaking also, the Chairman of Ondo East Local Government Area, Hon.Olawale Akinkuotu said he immediately called the District Police Officer(DOO) in the area after receiving a call at about 6:30am in respect of the fire outbreak.
According to him, the Secretariat had lost valuable items worth several millions of naira to the inferno.
“It is regrettable that virtually 80 percent of this building has been razed down. Basically,there shouldn’t be any fire outbreak here, because we have not been having electricity in Ondo East Local Government for the past 15 years and have not been able to power our generator for the past 3 months due to the cost of diesel.So,l foresee something hidden and masterminded by some unscrupulous elements,” he said.
Commissioner for Culture and Tourism,Hon. Wale Akinlosotu had described the fire incident as disheartening and called on the appropriate authority to bring the perpetrators of the act to book.
The Speaker had earlier visited ODEMSA where two ambulance vehicles were razed by fire on Sunday,July 2nd,2023.
According to the Nurse in charge of the Agency,(OIC)Mrs.Olawunmi Orogbemi said the fire had also affected few parts of the building.”There was no petrol or battery in each of the vehicles.We have reported to the police Station and our head in office,”she explained.
Kehinde Adeleye,
Director, Information Service,Ondo State House of Assembly.