The association’s president, Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, placed the demand during the Bodija Estate Explosion Remembrance Service held on Thursday in Ibadan to commemorate the incident.

The remembrance service was organised by BERA in conjunction with the Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group, DOVG.

Bamgbose said they wanted those who caused the problem to be prosecuted and that there should be transparency and accountability so that people could have closure.

“They will have the assurance that those who caused the problem have been punished and there would likely be people who will not do that kind of thing again,” he said.

Recounting some of the victims’ ordeals, he said some of them still had nowhere to stay while others had been staying with relatives.

“Some still look at where their houses used to be in hopelessly. We hope the support that the government is sending would be expedited and arrive very quickly so that hope that is delayed will not make the heart grow sick,” Bamgbose said.

He called on the community for more solidarity, adding that he was impressed with the turnout at the remembrance service.

He further said efforts were underway to boost security in the area through the Know-Your-Neighbours adopted policy.

In his address, the chairman of DOVG, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, said the event was to honour the memories of those who lost their lives and sympathise with their families and friends who continued to grieve.

He appreciated the first responders, security agencies, the state government as well as volunteers who risked their lives to save others.

“Your selflessness and dedication are a beacon of hope,” Oladokun said.

He, however, urged residents to work together to rebuild and strengthen the community.

“We must remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring the safety and security of our neighbourhood.

“Let us learn from this tragedy and take steps to prevent such incidents in the future,” Oladokun said.

Also, the Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, said the government had set up a committee to support victims of the explosion.

He stressed the commitment of the state government to ensure the security of lives and forestall future occurrences.

Ogedengbe denied that the government had been shielding the perpetrators of the incident, adding that their prosecution had commenced.

He, however, declined to speak on details of the prosecution.

Meanwhile, some of the survivors of the blast, who narrated their experiences after one year, said the effects had been unimaginable.

One of them, Mr Muhammad Denise, said his eardrum, which was damaged by the sound from the blast, was yet to recover.

“We are alive, we thank God but it has not been easy.

“Things can be better, but we are still healing gradually; we are yet to get there, but we pray we will get there soon.

READ ALSO: Tinubu excited as Biden honours Nigerian scientists, engineers

“It has been a series of promises all through. We are not satisfied with the way things are.

“I am still nursing wounds; some of us our eardrums were perforated.

“We have gone, and are still going through a series of medical care. It is healing gradually as we have been told it will take time,” Denise said.

Another victim, Mr Muyiwa Ige, lamented what he described as weak intervention from the government.

He said victims who were accommodated in the hotels were kicked out within 30 to 45 days after the incident in a very undignified manner.

Ige alleged there had been no information about the arrest and trial of those involved in the incident.

“The tenant who rented the place is at large -God will help us in this community and country,” he said.

Another victim, Mr Taiwo Salami, also called for the expedition of actions to bring succour to victims.

Pictures and names of five persons who died from the explosion were on the programme of the event, with their families and loved ones prayed for.

The community is also set to hold a candlelight procession in honour of the deceased.

Source: NAN

The post Bodija explosion: Residents demand justice one year after appeared first on Frontpageng.

“I think it is now more towards eight and nine persons now, or even 10, whom those in the neighbourhood have talked about,” the association’s president, Mr Muyiwa Bamgbose, said after their consultative meeting.

“We took the map of the street to them (government) and tried to account for (people) house by house to get accurate information.

“If the person was seen yesterday and was not seen today or you can’t find him again, then you need to get worried. But I believe it’s nearer 10 now,” he added.

BERA, an umbrella body of all communities in Bodija, also called for massive assistance for victims of the explosion to get back their lives.

It pointed out the need for continuous care and support for victims whose lives had changed unexpectedly since the incident.

The president said there were a lot of people who paid for their medical bills out of pocket and did not go to the designated hospitals.

“I must also confess that some hospitals, like Redeemers Clinic, were treating victims free of charge without keeping records.

“The hospitals contributed by treating people without asking for money, and some people who could afford it took themselves to their private hospitals,” Bamgbose said.

He, however, lamented improper organisation for victims in accessing hotel accommodation the government said it provided.

“Our fear is that government may end up being shortchanged. Yes, it was a chaotic situation but there should been some kind of order.

“Yes, this is the first in Ibadan and I must commend the government’s willingness and response. But there is a difference between being willing and then having the ability.

“People have worked overnight without sleeping. Even the federal government has taken the issue serious as all its security apparatus were deployed.

“Then, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been working with its Oyo State counterpart. Everybody has collaborated but our best is still short of the word best,” Bamgbose said.

While commending the efforts of the Federal and Oyo State Governments, Bamgbose noted the need to learn from the explosion to better prepare for emergency operations.

“The response to the incident, though quick, was uncoordinated. This is what led to the various lapses still being experienced by victims,” he said.

He underscored the need to learn from the experience and improve on the gaps.

“This is necessary so as to improve on how to respond to emergencies which could come in any form — flood, fire outbreak and so on — and improve on best practices.”

The BERA president also disclosed that the Bodija community was from all records yet to find anyone who resided in the house where the explosion occurred.

“And that is another area of deficiency and we have taken it upon ourselves as from this meeting to know our neighbours.

“Not just to know who is living in the house but the owner as well, and what the occupants do for a living and really know ourselves,” he said.

Bamgbose decried the lack of demographic records as a problem, adding that it might be difficult to trace it even from the records of the State Housing Corporation.

“People have talked about some people running out of the house when the thing started, but now nobody knows whether they were caught up in the blast or disappeared under the radar.

“Nobody has good record,” he said.

Source: NAN

The post Ibadan explosion: 10 people still missing, Bodija community claims appeared first on Frontpageng.