Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has signed Executive Order 001 of 2024 on the safe handling of harmful substances in the state.
Makinde signed the executive order on Wednesday.
It was reported that the signing of the order is coming two weeks after some explosives exploded in Ibadan.
The incident occurred at Dejo Oyelese Close, Bodija Housing Estate, in Ibadan.
The governor, while speaking during the signing, said that the order was signed to ensure the safe handling and storage of harmful substances within the state.
He declared that there is now a law in place to guide the handling of harmful substances in the state.
He added that the state government is taking all necessary action to prevent a recurrence of the January 16 explosion in the state.
He said the structural integrity tests on buildings around the site had been concluded.
Makinde said, “We have scheduled an expanded meeting for Tuesday. After that meeting, we should be in a position to lay out what next step we are going to take to launch out.
“If you store gas in a way that is irresponsible and can make heat trigger an explosion, it becomes harmful and would have the same dangerous consequences that are negative to human existence.
“So, what this order has done is to say that the government, not being superhuman, cannot know what people have stored in their respective homes. And it is to say, any company or individual that has harmful substances stored in residential houses should notify the state government.
“Going forward, anybody who has harmful substances in Oyo State, it does not matter if you have a licence to hold it, you have a duty to notify the Special Adviser to the governor so that we are sure you are not endangering the lives of other people around you. And this will be on until the governor revokes the Executive Order.”
