January 03, (THEWILL) – It was a bitter and sad moment for Nigeria, particularly for the families of those who lost their loved ones in the three separate stampedes which occurred in Abuja, Okija and Ibadan, in Anambra and Oyo States respectively. The incident in Ibadan involved innocent little kids, who attended a Christmas Carnival organised by Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife.

The other two unfortunate cases happened at a giveaway food charity event organised by a Catholic church and spirited individuals to cushion the effects of hardship this yuletide season. The stampedes resulted in the death of over 81 persons with many others injured and hospitalised according to varied reports. These Nigerians met their untimely death simply because they were hungry and had no means of putting food on their tables. The joyous season of Christmas was short-lived with agonising pain, regrets and mournful tears.

For those who lost their loved ones, it was a dark Christmas and the season will remain an unforgettable traumatic experience for a long time to come. Like many other well-meaning Nigerians, I implore you to take heart. The fact that many people turned out in large numbers to scramble for 10kg of rice which ended in tragic circumstances in a nation endowed with so many human and material resources was so sad. This is an indictment on the current governments at the federal and the states.

There is a strong nexus between hunger, stampedes and resultant deaths in the country during this period. And the following underlying factors are quick pointers. One is harsh economic conditions occasioned by government policies. The willful proclamation of – “subsidy is gone” by President Tinubu the same day he was inaugurated and the floating of Naira had forced the economic fundamentals and market forces to agitate and swiftly turn against Nigerians. Lest we forget, the pump price of petrol rose from N187 to N1,700 while the exchange rate jumped from N400 to $1 to as much as N2,000. As an oil-dependent economy, the effect of that singular presidential declaration severely compounded the woes of every other sector of the economy. The current galloping inflation; the rising cost of food, transport fare and other essential commodities never witnessed before in decades has emerged as a result. These government decisions have far-reaching implications which have set the nation ten years backwards.

Two, poor event planning and effective crowd management. Modalities for effective crowd management should have been put in place by the organisers from the onset. Experts in crowd management should have been dispatched to the event venues for adequate control. It would have assisted in no small measure in preventing or reducing the tally of deaths recorded. Even though the organisers least expected the surge in crowd, it should have been envisaged in the prism of proper planning. The organisers should have taken a cue from previous experiences bearing in mind that people more often than not run out of control in situations like those.

Three, the love for freebies by Nigerians. The penchant for always wanting to benefit from free handouts from charity or spirited individuals every Christmas season even by those who should be content with the little they have has become our way of life. Though the government seems to live in a bubble of its own and has no clear understanding of the enormity of damage it has done to the entire system, many Nigerians love ‘awoof’ and as they say “awoof dey run belle”. One would be surprised that some people who have bought little things for their families were also at the venues to get additions. Sometimes, people set unusual targets and raise expectations for themselves during Christmas and when they are not met, every means available to meet up becomes their destination.

Fourth, ignoring safety standards. This is one important factor the organisers left unattended to. How big are the venues of the events? Did organisers take into consideration the number of people the venues can accommodate? Did attendees exceed the envisaged numbers and if they did, what was the plan for the extra? How about medical personnel to help in time of need? Five, parental irresponsibility. Ordinarily, every right-thinking parent should envisage rancour in venues under review. Therefore, no children should have been allowed into areas like the events of Abuja and Anambra. The Ibadan tragedy begs for an answer as to why parents should throw their children into the event venue through the fence.

Those trying frantically to exonerate the government from any wrongdoing should put themselves in the shoes of the affected. It is the policies of the government that uplift citizens or send them deep into the abyss of poverty. President Tinubu and the state governors should be reminded that; it was a failure on their part to provide good governance that led to these crises. They should be reminded that people are suffering more than they thought and grasping for fresh air of survival. Those who have food do not go about begging.

For a nation capable of re-inventing itself and re-energising its innate potential to catalyse rapid development but failed to, the events of the past days were sad reminders of how badly the economy has deteriorated. The need to give to society was the priority of the organisers of those events. This was in line with the mood of the season and the scriptures in Matthew 25: 40; “Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren; ye have done it unto me.” However, the organisers had no premonition that evil was lurking around the corner.

Any group or individual planning events of this nature next year or in years to come should take actual inventory or an audit of the numbers of those who will benefit from their gesture and strictly send invites on that basis. Distribution centres can be decentralised for easy management of people and other miscellaneous circumstances. Experts should be engaged to manage and control crowds. Parents should as a matter of priority man up for their responsibilities and leave their vulnerable innocent children at home in situations like this.

The government should not abdicate its fundamental responsibility of providing for the welfare of the people to individuals and charity organisations. It is a shame to do so! To those who lost their loved ones, be comforted. Be also rest assured that we shall all rise together with Christ on the morning of the resurrection. Accept our sincere and deepest condolences. Finally, may the gentle souls of the departed find rest in the bosom of the Lord.