Victims of Dugbe Fire Disaster Appeal To Makinde To Grant Rebuilding Approval

Dapo Davies, owner of Pelly Foam Industries Limited, and the traders within the building that was gutted with fire at Dugbe, Ibadan, last year April, have begged the Governor of Oyo state, to grant them renovation approval.

The appeal was made through a letter by S.O. Sanni & CO on behalf of the affected firm, Pelly Foam and the traders within the property to the Governor of the State, Seyi Makinde dated April 8th and received on April 16th by the Governor’s office and made subsequently made available to journalists on Tuesday, April 20th, 2021.

According to the letter titled, ‘Appeal For Permission To Renovate The Property Situate At No 1, Lebanon Street, Dugbe, Ibadan, Gutted By Fire On The 15th, April 2020’, “Your Excellency, the above-mentioned property was gutted by fire on the 15th, April 2020 where a substantial part of the building was adversely affected.

“Your Excellency took time out of your ever busy schedule to visit the premises and lamented the extent of damage done to the building which is located at the Central Business District of Ibadan.

“Your Excellency in your usual magnanimity gave out palliative to settle the traders affected by the fire incident which our client appreciated and still appreciating.

“Our client was directed to produce a renovation permit for approval by the relevant government agencies which was promptly done and submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey and the Town Planning Department, a most unnecessary building plan.

“Submission of the building plan was based on the advice of the Town Planning Department which is strange to all known Town Planning Laws where a building is gutted by fire.

“We however regret to note Your Excellency that the government department responsible for approval of building plans has refused to approve the renovation permit for almost one year after the fire incident.

“We heard from the grapevine that Your Excellency was informed that there are pending cases in court which is farther from the truth. The truth is that one King Zion took our client to court in 2003, years before the fire incident and various cases in court have nothing to do with the fire incident. We urge Your Excellency to kindly demand a copy of the said injunction granted by the court”.