The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has expressed sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the tragic stampedes during food distribution exercises in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents,” Idris said.
Describing the incidents as tragic and deeply saddening, the Minister emphasized the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities, particularly during the festive season.
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While acknowledging the good intentions of organizers seeking to bring relief to vulnerable members of society, the Minister urged all individuals and organizations planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, by liaising with police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.
He stressed that collaboration with the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is crucial to safeguarding lives and ensuring that 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 politicizing the unfortunate incidents, emphasizing that these tragic events are in no way connected to the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“It is worth noting that similar unfortunate occurrences have been recorded in the past, before the current administration.
“As such, any attempt to link these tragedies to the President’s reforms is unfounded and disingenuous,” he said.
Idris reiterated that the reforms, while repositioning the Nigerian economy for sustainable growth, are designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable, without causing distress.
The Minister called for a collective sense of responsibility and urged citizens to unite to ensure that the Yuletide season is marked by peace, goodwill, and joy, free from preventable tragedies.
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