‘A day before the funfair, I went to inspect the venue to ensure that all the necessary things were in place. Prophetess Naomi was there and she said the place was more spacious than the place they wanted to use. I asked about the security arrangement and she said the security will be there by 8am. I told her and the team that Ibadan is different from the other places they have been using so I promised to give her 200 boys that will be giving out tickets to the children. She didn’t plan to use tickets initially. I arranged how 5500 tickets would be printed. The following day, I got to the venue at about 5:45am. I saw a lot of crowd. All roads were blocked. Mothers have started throwing their kids over the fence. The program was scheduled to start at 10am and security men were expected at 8am. I started begging that everybody should go back home. They refused to listen to me.
Over 2000 mothers threw their kids over the fence as at 5:45am. I was told they have been throwing their kids since 4am. Even though we were expecting 5000 kids, Naomi rented 7000 chairs because I told her to make provision for mothers that would bring their kids. Stampede started happening at 7am. A woman said she threw her son over the fence thinking that someone would catch him but the child h!t his head on the ground and d!ed on the spot. One woman gathered her neighbor’s kids and brought 19 children to the venue. HOW WAS IT NAOMI’S FAULT that parents were throwing their kids?’
—𝐀𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐢 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐦𝐢 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐳𝐚𝐭
Canada: Palliative For 1000 Households, Attracted 15,000 Households, But Only 2000 Received Food!
The recent stampede during palliative distribution in Nigeria highlights the dire impact of the global recession, which affects countries worldwide, not just Nigeria. Many Nigerians mistakenly believe that hunger and poverty are unique to their nation, but similar challenges exist elsewhere. In Canada, for instance, a recent giveaway saw 15,000 households waiting for hours in the rain, though only 2,000 were served. Likewise, nations like the UK, US, Germany, France, and South Africa rely on food banks and other safety nets to address increasing hardships.
Nigerians must recognize that these challenges are part of a global trend. Instead of playing the blame game, citizens should support their leaders in managing the crisis while seeking innovative, practical solutions tailored to the country’s unique cultural and demographic realities. A nation with 70% illiteracy presents significant logistical challenges in organizing welfare programs, making proper planning essential to avoid unfortunate incidents like stampedes.
Detractors politicizing such tragedies must shift focus from criticism to contributing meaningfully to alleviating the hardships of those in need. Blaming the Tinubu administration for poorly organized charity events is unproductive. Instead, leaders, organizers, and citizens alike should embrace the spirit of the season, working collaboratively to support vulnerable populations and navigate the economic storm together.
Dr. Amiida
Headlinenews.news
There is a huge difference in inviting illiterates to an event for free giveaways and educated persons. It is not hunger, hardship, poverty that causes stampedes but literacy level & behavior of the people, and the inefficiency of the organizers who ought to have taken this into consideration.
Headlinenews.news.
