Explosion: Makinde Signs Order On Handling Of Harmful Substances

Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo Statwe, has signed an Executive Order 001 of 2024 on the safe handling of harmful substances.
Makinde said that the Order was on the safe-handling and storage of harmful substances within Oyo State.
He said; “We are doing this in the light of the unfortunate incident at Bodija, where explosives were stored in a residential area. So, dated today, 31st of January 2024, we have the Executive Order, which is now a law in the state”.
The event had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Barr. Bayo Lawal; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo; Chief of Staff, Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi; and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biodun Aikomo.
A statement by Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser on Media to the Oyo State Governor, said that after the signing of the order, Makinde and his entourage proceeded to Ground Zero, the site of the incident, where he monitored the progress of work.
Makinde said that there is now a law in place to guide the handling of harmful substances in the state, stressing that the state government was taking all necessary action to prevent a recurrence of the January 16, 2024 explosion in the state.
The governor said the structural integrity tests on buildings around the site had been concluded, adding that the state government would officially receive the report next week.
Makinde said that most patients have already been discharged with only one person awaiting surgery, stressing that the unfortunate incident was not a terrorist attack as some people were insinuating but, it occurred because some individuals stored explosives in a residential area.
The governor further said that with the Executive Order 001 on Safe Handling of Harmful Substances, a recurrence of such incident would be prevented, as there would be zero tolerance for those who break the law.
In the words of Makinde; “We have scheduled an expanded meeting for Tuesday. After that meeting, we should be in the position to lay out what next step we are going to take to launch out”.
Also speaking with newsmen, the Attorney-General maintained that the law is not necessarily about explosives, as that is on the exclusive legislative list, but that there are many other harmful substances.
He said; “If you store gas in a way that is irresponsible and can make heat trigger an explosion, it becomes harmful and would have the same dangerous consequences that are negative to human existence.
“So, what this Order has done is to say that the government, not being super-human, cannot know what people have stored in their respective homes. And it is to say, any company or individual that has harmful substances stored in residential houses should notify the state government,” he said.