The federal government Sunday cautioned against the poiliticisation of the incidents of stampede across the country, saying it has no link whatsoever with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said this in a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.
On Saturday in Okija, Anambra state, a Christmas palliative distribution turned tragic with 22 persons losing their lives, with several others injured in an early morning stampede.
The same day in Abuja, another tragedy struck when 10 persons died during an annual Christmas food-sharing event at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama.
Prior to these, there was a stampede Wednesday at the Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo state, where several children lost their lives and others sustained injuries during a holiday fanfare.
And in a tweet on his X handle, the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the last 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, condemned the Ibadan tragedy, describing it as a reflection of the nation’s systemic failure.
…FG cautions
But cautioning against such comments, the federal government said the development should not be politicised.
He said the government deeply sympathised with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the tragic stampedes.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents,” he said.
Describing the tragedies as deeply saddening, the statement said the development underscored the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities, especially during the festive season.
While acknowledging the noble intentions of organisers seeking to bring relief to vulnerable members of the society, Idris “strongly admonishes all individuals and organizations planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun on liaising with the police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.”
He emphasided that collaboration with the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is crucial to safeguarding lives and ensuring that such efforts to assist those in need do not inadvertently lead to further distress.
Furthermore, the minister appealed to politicians and other stakeholders “to refrain from politicising the unfortunate incidents,” stressing that those tragic events were in no way connected to the present administration’s reforms.
“It is worth noting that similar unfortunate occurrences have been recorded in the past, before the current administration, as such, making any attempt to link these tragedies to the President’s reforms is unfounded and disingenuous.”
Idris said the reforms, while repositioning the Nigerian economy for sustainable growth, were designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable without causing distress.
The minister, therefore, called for a collective sense of responsibility and urged citizens to unite and ensure that the Yuletide season is marked by peace, goodwill, and joy, devoid of preventable tragedies.
…Omokri
Similarly, a former presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, also said politicising the tragedies would amount to mocking the victims.