The Oyo State Government has said that it has been spending between N15 million and N20 million weekly on accommodation and feeding for the victims of the Bodija explosion for the past eight weeks.
The State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Dotun Oyelade, made this known in a statement on Monday following reports that it had kicked out and abandoned the victims of the Bodija explosion.
As contained in the statement, Oyelade stated that the government had so far spent over N160 million on accommodation and feeding of the victims, saying 38 victims were still being housed in seven hotels in highbrow areas.
He added that the government has been spending N2 million weekly for the past eight weeks on security to protect the explosion area.
As he said, the state government has picked up the medical bills of the victims to the tune of about 17 million naira while attending to those still in hospitals.
He described as spurious reports that victims’ meals have been reduced to one while adding that it did not kick out victims but relocated them to another hotel at Jericho to allow for fumigation of their previous hotel at Idi-Ape.
Oyelade said: “As we speak, the government has spent over 160 million naira on accommodation and feeding alone for the victims who were immediately accommodated at the hotels, and 38 of them are still residing in the various hotels.
“In the same vein, the government has picked up a medical bill of over 17 million naira, while those still in hospitals are being actively catered for.
“The rumor that some of the victims were ejected from their hotels is farther from the truth.
“One of the hotels at Idi-Ape informed their occupants that they would like to fumigate their premises, and the state government took it upon itself to immediately arrange transportation for the explosion victims to be accommodated in another hotel at Jericho together with members of their families.
“The government does not think making an issue of fumigating a facility is the correct thing to do because such an exercise is routine and the prerogative of the hotel owners.
“On the accusation that victims meals have been reduced to one, the government sees this as equally spurious because many hotels provide complimentary breakfast and most of our wards go out in the daytime, hence the government’s decision to provide dinner.
“The government is humbled by the gratitude and understanding shown by the victims and the populace alike, who see the genuineness of government spending millions of naira to protect the property left behind by the victims, including the large sums of money spent on their medical bills, accommodation, and feeding so far.”