President of Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA), Muyiwa Bamgbose, has lamented that most victims of the January 16, blast in Bodija, Ibadan are still “in limbo”.

According to Bamgbose, though the Oyo State government has been trying, more still needs to be done.The president called on the state government to disclose the next line of action for the victims.

He said: “The latest is that people are wondering what the next line of action is. People are tired of staying in hotels. Many are still in hotels. They don’t even know whether they are going to rent a house, because building a house does not happen overnight.

“It takes quite a while to even build a house. People are in limbo. Our appeal is for a decision on what we want to do with these people. Let them know their lot, their fate, and where they are going.

“I spoke with an 85-year-old professor who was telling me that he built his house in 1976. He retired into the place. Now the place is gone. What does he do? Where does he start from? Definitely, he does not have the strength to begin to build another house again at 85. How long will it take to build the house? How long will he live?

“This is the problem, and we are concerned for them. We feel their pains and woes. We are just appealing to the government to speak out. Let them know where we are going.

“These are people of substance who have served this nation. The nation has a degree of responsibility to them and others, to ensure that they have dignity and a good means of existence.”

But reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said: ‘’The government is doing everything to take care of the people and ensure that they return to their normal lives.”

Meanwhile, speaking further, Bamgbose said: “Our appeal to the government is to speak out and let us know the next line of action. Government has done much, especially the Oyo State government. The governor has done so much.

“In other climes, what they would have done is to put a shed somewhere and ask people to live under the canopy. The state government gave people hotel accommodation, food, and other things. We appreciate them for it.

“We also know that people are contributing by sending resources. We appreciate the government.”

But we are saying they can still do more. What happened was not the fault of these people who had been living peacefully in their houses. “They are waiting for the next line of action, despite the efforts of the government, because some of them are still in hotels.”

He added: “If a man knows where he is going, he is half-way there. For a man to live in limbo is a great problem, especially for people who have been in control of their lives. Someone who decides when he wants to eat, bathe, go out and do other things, is now living like a dependent person.’’