Southern governors have paid a condolence visit to one of their members, Seyi Makinde, over the death of 35 persons at a funfair for children in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Also yesterday, former President Goodluck Jonathan expressed sadness over the Ibadan stampede and those that happened in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) and Okija, Anambra State on Saturday. He expressed sadness over the tragedies and called for prayers as well as support for the victims’ families.
Police in Anambra State put the death toll in the Okija incident at 22 while reports had it that 10 lives were lost in that of the FCT.
The victims were among thousands of people that thronged venues of cash and rice distributions by private charity organisations.
During the visit to Makinde in Ibadan, the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum(SGF) Dapo Abiodun, said that he was sure that the stampede on Thursday would not have happened if the state government had been carried along by the organisers.
Abiodun said: “I am here on behalf of myself, the government, and the good people of Ogun State and the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) to commiserate with the governor of Oyo State and the people on the unfortunate incident where a good initiative turned sour.
“It is most unfortunate that, in response to the current realities, an NGO(Non-Governmental Organisations) decided to share the joy of the season with children, which led to the loss of 35 lives.
“I think that we’ve seen this trend in Anambra and Abuja during this Yuletide.’’
The SGF chairman, who is also the governor of Ogun State, described the stampede as unfortunate and advised that governments and relevant stakeholders should always be carried along by organisers of events requiring large crowds.
His words: “I believe that what we must also take away from this unfortunate incident is that when private sector players, non-governmental organisations, and charities want to embark on such initiatives, they should try to work with the government.
“As a responsible government, we carry out such initiatives, and it doesn’t end like this because we have people who are charged with such responsibilities.
“They planned it to ensure that it is well implemented. So, one must admonish others who have such initiatives that a lot of lessons must be learned from what has happened, and we must ensure that we avoid such mishaps in the future.”
He stated that the SGF was pained by the loss of loss and that as the chairman of the forum, his visit was to condole with Makinde and all Oyo State people .
He prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and for their families to bear the loss.
Governor Makinde said the visit by Abiodun provides an opportunity for the cross-fertiliSation of ideas that would benefit the two(Ogun and Oyo) sister states.
He revealed that leaders of the two states would meet next year to see what they could learn from each other.
In his Christmas message, former President Jonathan urged governments and other relevant authorities to implement measures to prevent incidents that could lead to deaths in the future.
He said: “The unfortunate incidents have left all of us in shock and sorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and with those who have been injured.
“I urge the authorities to provide the necessary support to the victims and ensure that measures are put in place to prevent such occurrences in the future.
“As we navigate through this painful period, I encourage all Nigerians to show compassion and solidarity, especially during this festive season.
“Christmas is a time of love, unity, and hope. It reminds us of the importance of caring for one another and working towards peace and harmony in our communities.”
Jonathan also urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of Christmas by extending love to those in need and fostering unity across all divides.
Jonathan prayed that the season would rekindle Nigerians’ collective resolve to build a nation founded on justice, fairness, and mutual respect.
thinking that the economy was healthy.’’.