A delegation of Southern governors has visited Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to express condolences over the tragic loss of 35 lives at a children’s funfair in Ibadan.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Governor Abiodun described the event as a well-intentioned initiative that unfortunately ended in tragedy, emphasizing the need for non-governmental organizations to collaborate with the government to ensure proper planning for such charitable events.
Abiodun offered prayers for the deceased children, their grieving families, and the people of Oyo State. 
Speaking on behalf of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Abiodun said, “I am here on behalf of myself, family, the entire people of Ogun State and the entire Southern Governors’ Forum of Nigeria.
“We have come to commiserate with the governor and the entire people of Oyo State on the very unfortunate incident that happened on Wednesday 18th of December, 2024, where a good initiative turned sour.
“We all woke up to the news the following day and I decided to come on behalf of all of us and condole with the governor and the people as well as the government of Oyo State.
“The entire Southern governors are pained by this occurrence. In Ogun State, we believe anything that affects Oyo State affects us as well. Our prayer is that we won’t witness such an occurrence again. We will continue to remember all those affected in our prayers.”
Governor Makinde, in response, thanked Abiodun and the visiting governors for their support during this difficult time.
He acknowledged the value of their discussions, which extended beyond condolences to include collaborative strategies for agricultural development.
Makinde revealed plans for a peer-review session in the New Year, aimed at leveraging successful initiatives from both states.
He said: “Your Excellency, thank you so much for the visit. We appreciate you being with us at this difficult period.
“My brother’s visit presented an opportunity to also rub minds. We were talking about tractorisation and the strategy they have adopted in Ogun State as well as what we are doing here.
“We agreed that we will have a peer-review visit in the New Year so that we can leverage the good things happening there and they can also leverage the good things happening here.”
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