Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, has visited Fresh FM’s Ibadan headquarters to review the destruction caused by a fire incident on Friday.
The governor arrived at the station around 7:30 p.m., where he sympathised with the chairman, Dr. Olayinka Ayefele, and the management team.
The announcement was made in a statement on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, and made available to journalists in Ibadan.
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He remarked that while the incident was unfortunate, it served as a wake-up call for the state government on emergency management and fire response, adding that he would meet with the leadership of the Oyo State Fire Service to restructure it for more efficient service delivery.
Makinde, expressing gratitude to God that the blaze claimed no lives, pledged the state government’s support to help the station resume broadcast swiftly, stressing its importance in keeping the people of the state well-informed.
He said, “What has happened here is a wake-up call for us as far as response time is concerned. I believe if we had taken Oyo State Fire Agency to the level that we want it to be, this damage would not have been to this extent.
“I would be sitting with the chairman of that agency to see what we can do. We have a fire station here around Scout Camp. If it had been equipped to the level that they could handle this, they would have been here before the people at the secretariat came.
“Those are things that I have seen that we have to work on.
“To the chairman and management of Fresh FM, I want to encourage you all. First, if you have this kind of situation, we have to be thankful to God that we didn’t lose any life.
“In terms of moving forward, I believe the state government and I will give support to them.
“They are very vital to informing our people. We won’t let the station close for an extended period of time. So, I give them that assurance.”
Ayefele, in his response, thanked Governor Makinde and applauded his quick visit to the station, noting that it reflected the qualities of a caring leader.
He also extended his gratitude to the station’s fans, the first responders, and supporters both within and outside the country, urging them to collaborate with him in the effort to rebuild the station.
Facilities affected by the fire included the Fresh FM studio, Blast FM studio, newsroom, transmitter room, the office of the Blast FM General Manager, and the office of Fresh FM’s Assistant General Manager, among others.
