A governorship hopeful under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State and philanthropist, Engineer Seyi Makinde has urged the state government to probe the unfortunate incident that led to the death of a lion minder, Mr. Hamzat Oyekunle at Agodi Garden, Ibadan.
He added that by doing this, it will forestall reoccurrence and ensure the safety of workers and members of the public.
This was expressed in a release signed by the personal aide of the politician, Alhaji Akeem Azeez – made available to PMParrot in Ibadan on Monday.
The PDP chieftain in the state said it saddened his heart that such incident occurred that claimed the life of a dedicated worker.
Seyi Makinde expressed deep condolence to the family of the dedicated worker while calling for a probe into the incident emphasizing that there is need to make the park and zoo safe for all.
He called on the operators of the zoo to continuously involve their workers in frequent training and apply modern methods of keeping wild animals.
The release said further that the haggard look of the lion suggested that wild animals in the zoo possibly lack the required care as it obtains in Kenya and South Africa, as examples, where fortunes are made from tourism to the benefit of the host communities.
He stressed further that the probe must be made public and the family of the deceased compensated for by the government, while further suggesting that all stakeholders – local and international – should be effectively engaged to ensure the safety of zoo goers and workers.
Packaged by Mariam Azeez
