Oluseyi Dasilva
A building housing the popular Olufunmilayo records, Muritala Mohammed way, Ilorin was last night destroyed by a heavy rain storm of Saturday causing damage to goods and properties worth several millions.
The rain which came with violent storm removed the roof of Olufunmilayo Record dumping the remains of the roof on the railway behind the house at a distance of about fifty meters away, uprooting the three on its path.
Though the disaster rendered several people speechless, Evangelist Dr Adedayo A. Agboola, the Chairman of Olufunmilayo Records said “it is very tragic God gave reasons for gratitude. I am grateful to God that no life was lost in the disaster.”
He further said: “It is a very tragic, unexpected disaster, I never experienced this kind of thing since I have been here. I came in here since 1971 and such a thing never happened, but the scriptures admonish us to give thanks always in every situation. The fact that there was no loss of life or no one was injured is a good reason to thank God. If any of those things happens, our attension would be divided between the irreparable loss to life and care for the injured, so I thank God, we just lost properties.
“Several millions are involved in these destruction, I am still counting the losses, many of the items we deal in should not be torched by water but when the roof of the building was removed, rain water soaked the items, many are already damaged. When I settle down, I will look to see the few which may not get bad but I know they will be just a few.
Asked on plans to put back the roof, Adedayo said, “As you can see, we have called in artisans who will quickly fix the damage, myself and the landlord’s children are working on it already. I am sure that God is in control.”
Speaking on the effect of the COVID 19 pandemic on his business, Evangelist Agboola said that his business is grossly affected lamenting sharp drop in sales as a result of the lock down
He said that the little time left for movement did not even allow people to reachout to patronize his business, except a few that are in the neighbourhood and can walk down.
Adedayo however said that he will not lay off or retrench any of his staff due to the negative effect of COVID 19 on his business adding that those young chaps have no other source of livelihood than the job he gave them and that laying them off will cause more hardship; “I will rather endure, bear the pain as a fatherly figure over them to keep them employed till God remedies the situation. Its not their fault, God understands and will put an end too the pandemic.”
Other people in the neighbourhood were seen lamenting and counting their losses too as some were rendered speechless due to what they call “a hopless and helpless situation.”
Hadijat a single mother living at the residential part of the building said she had been struggling to survive as a result of the COVID 19 lock down asking “why this again as if the pain of the lock down is not enough and God allows this added challenge. Has he abandoned us or he is asleep? May he forgive if I sound sinful but this is too painful, how else should we call this?”
She struggled to force back tears visibly frustrated, hopeless and helpless, but calls on government to come to her aid and all the neighbours to prevent hardship and frustration.
The situation of destruction is an eye sore as sympathizers were seen in threes and fours discussing the situation and wondering where the less opportune in the house would start from except government intervention.
Children of the deceased landlord, owners of the house said that they had put heads together with Olufunmilayo Records to quickly renovate the destroyed roof so that business and human activities will not be hindered.
