The Federal Government has appealed to politicians and other stakeholders to refrain from politicizing any unfortunate incidents, stressing that those tragic events are in no way connected to the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s economic reforms.
Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris who made the appeal in a statement released on Sunday over the lost of lives in the tragic stampedes that occurred during food distribution exercises in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija recently.
“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”, the Minister said.
Idris stated further that the reforms, while repositioning the Nigerian economy for the sustainable growth, are designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly vulnerable without causing distress.
The Minister on behalf of the Federal Government deeply sympathized with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this tragic stampedes. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents,” he said.
He said the tragedies are deeply saddening and underscored the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities, especially during the festive season.
While acknowledging the noble intentions of the organizers seeking to bring relief to vulnerable members of society, the Minister strongly admonished all individuals and organizations.
“Who are planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on liaising with the police formations for effective crowd control and security measures”.
He emphasized that the 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.
Idris 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.
