Victims of the April 14 fire disaster at the Ogunpa Market have appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to come to their aid in a bid to rebuild the structure gutted by fire.

The traders, who decried the hardship being encountered, said one year after the unfortunate incident, they are yet to secure the permit to rebuild their shops, despite all efforts.

Traders at the popular Ogunpa market under the Oluyole Local Government Area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital will never forget the unfortunate incident of April 14, 2020 when no fewer than 30 shops with property worth billions of naira were razed.

Though the cause of the incident was attributed to negligence on the part of a trader in the market, the traders are yet to recover from the impact of the disaster.

During his visit to the scene of the incident, Governor Seyi Makinde promised to assist the traders financially; a promise which the traders confirmed had been fulfilled.

However, one year after the unfortunate incident, victims of the disaster are yet to move into their shops due to their inability to secure a permit from the state government.

The traders, at a peaceful protest in Ibadan, on Tuesday, decried the hardship and agony they have been through on the matter despite the promise by Governor Seyi Makinde.

A cross-section of the traders said several efforts had been made to ensure that renovation of the affected shops were effected but all to no avail, due to administrative bottleneck from the Ministry of Lands.

The victims of the incident however appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to come to their aid in this regard, stressing that they have been displaying their wares by the roadside since the time of the unfortunate incident.

They expressed their readiness to abide by all procedures in line with the reconstruction of the burnt facilities.