Oyo APC gubernatorial candidate donates N50m to Oranyan Market fire victims

By Adejayan Gbenga

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has committed N50 million to support traders affected by the recent fire outbreak at Oranyan Market in Ibadan.

Alli announced the intervention in a post on his Facebook page on Friday, saying the donation was aimed at providing immediate relief to traders who lost their businesses and livelihoods in the fire.

He said his campaign Director-General, Deputy Director-General and other APC leaders had visited the market to reassure affected traders of the planned intervention and demonstrate the party’s commitment to supporting their recovery.

Alli described the market as more than a place of business, noting that many families depended on the livelihoods generated there. He said the destruction had therefore caused significant hardship for traders and their families.

The APC candidate said the N50 million intervention was only the beginning of his support for the victims, assuring that traders who lost their livelihoods would not be left to rebuild alone.

The fire reportedly started around midnight Monday and affected several sections of the market, where traders sold gold, furniture, secondhand clothes and other goods. An eyewitness, identified as Iya Alia, said nearly 300 shops might have been affected.

However, the Special Adviser to the governor on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirmed the incident but cautioned against putting a figure on the number of shops destroyed before a proper assessment. He said the fire reportedly followed an explosion, although its source had yet to be established.

Meanwhile, Acting Governor, Abdulraheem Adebayo Lawal, expressed sympathy with the affected traders and assured them of government support. He said the state was working with emergency agencies to assess the damage, provide immediate relief and restore the market, while measures would be taken to prevent similar incidents.