Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has dismissed claims that he received ₦50 billion from President Bola Tinubu to manage the aftermath of the January 2024 Ibadan explosion, describing the allegation as false and unsupported by facts. The governor challenged former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, to either provide concrete proof of the claim or stop spreading what he termed deliberate misinformation.
The controversy resurfaced after Fayose, during a televised interview, alleged that the Presidency released ₦50 billion following the deadly Ibadan blast but that the funds were allegedly not paid into official Oyo State Government accounts. Fayose further suggested that the handling of the funds lacked transparency.
Governor Makinde has consistently denied the allegation, insisting that no such payment was made to the Oyo State Government. He maintained that claims of secret or undocumented transfers were unfounded and misleading, urging those making the assertions to back them with verifiable evidence.
The January 2024 explosion in Ibadan claimed five lives, injured no fewer than 77 people, and damaged about 55 residential buildings. In the aftermath, Makinde visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he presented a detailed report on the incident and sought federal support for recovery, relief, and reconstruction.
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Tensions around the issue escalated following similar assertions by Fayose’s former aide, Lere Olayinka, who alleged on social media that although ₦50 billion was supposedly received, only ₦4.5 billion was disbursed to victims of the explosion.
Responding to the claims, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, categorically denied that the Oyo State Government received ₦50 billion or any similar amount from the Federal Government in relation to the explosion. He described the allegations as reckless and misleading, stressing that they were not grounded in facts.
Olarenwaju challenged Fayose and others promoting the narrative to present credible and verifiable evidence, noting that making serious public accusations without proof amounts to the spread of false information.
The Oyo State Government reiterated that all interventions linked to the Ibadan explosion were handled transparently, with proper records kept for funds, relief materials, compensation payments, and reconstruction efforts.
The government added that assistance to victims and affected communities followed due process and was carried out in the best interest of those impacted by the disaster, reaffirming its commitment to accountability and openness to scrutiny by relevant authorities and the public.
