By Olanrewaju Adesanya
The former Deputy Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly at the just concluded 8th Assembly Hon. Omotayo Oduntan Oyeledun has urged the government to ensure adequate security of gas pipelines across the nation to forestall explosion, adding that the emergency
responders need to be bolstered.
Oduntan maintained that government both at the state and the federal need be proactive by providing adequate security for the protection of the pipeline networks across the country, as many of those who engage in the nefarious act are highly sophisticated and cannot be combated
by unarmed residents.
According to the ranking female legislator, the bunkerers will keep on coming to exploit vulnerable spot except if stiff security arrangements are put in place to halt them.
“It is rather very unfortunate because over ten years ago similar thing happened in Ijegun and I know what the people of Ijegun went through and we pray that such a thing should not happen again but you know this people engaged in this nefarious activities are sophisticated, they will not stop, if they are stopped from one place they move to another and it is very unfair that their eyes are now on Ijegun.
“Aside from their coming to do bunkering here you can see the extent of damage, a whole family perished in this tragedy and so many people lost their lives for something they don’t know nothing about so we will now call on the federal government and the state to provide adequate security in Ijegun for all the pipelines here because I learnt this people have been here twice since the incident happened they would not stop.
“It is only government that can take decisive action, so many people are involved in all these things, because they cannot just come into Ijegun without an insider or without the support of the security agency, they have known about this thing but look at the innocent lives that are lost now.
“So I want to use this opportunity as a resident of Ijegun, a concerned citizen and as a former Honourable member that they should come to our aid, Kabiyesi too is not happy, the man has been going up and down, I don’t know what they expect him and his chief to do now, than for government to come to their aid and provide adequate security to ensure the areas are well secured to ensure such does not happen again.
“Education on the pipeline areas in Ijegun is needed for land speculators and the general public, I have been in Ijegun for over thirty years but I don’t know, so also many who bought lands in the area construct houses to live in peace don’t know anything, government should come to our aid now.
“Residents need be watchful and be involved to ward off such people and report them, I know Ijegun people cannot combat these, so they need government aid because this people come with sophisticated weapons,” Oduntan counseled
She also lauded the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) General Manager Mr. Oke Osanyintolu for prompt response to reduce causalities at the Ijegun fire scene, stating that the GM was an expert in handling such situation.
Earlier Hon. Oduntan also paid courtesy call on the Onijegun of Ijegun kingdom, Oba Nureni Alani Akinremi Olomitutu at his palace to commiserate with him over the devastating fire incident in his domain.
Chief Muyideen Shittu the Akeweje of Ijegun Kingdom, Arizona Adesulure, group of women who ardent followers of the lawmaker were also part of her entourage to the scene and the palace.