By Olaitan Oye-Adeitan
Within the spate of one week, just as festivities were approaching an unimaginable and incomprehensible tragedy struck Nigeria’s landscape.
Homes bubbling with air of euphoria at expected relief was overtaken by agonising sorrow across three parts of the country: Oyo, Anambra and Abuja.
In Ibadan, the death toll was 35, mostly children, with many injured while in Anambra, the cold hands of death snuffed out 22. In Abuja, 10 were left grieving over their bereaved.
None of the families bereaved of their loved ones could ever have thought that events organised by well-meaning individuals and organisations for them to taste of the milk of kindness in the spirit of yuletide would leave them in gloom and heart rendering pain, wishing that day never came by
Precisely on December 18, a large crowd, most of whom were children had thronged a school in Ibadan to benefit from a yuletide largess of a philanthropist.
The organiser of the funfair, had planned to distribute cash and food items to over 5,000 children.
The turnout was a staggering crowd of thousands, well beyond the projected figure.
This was the forerunner of the disaster to come as stampede soon occured in the bid not to miss out of the palliative.
Just days later, another stampede occurred during a rice distribution event at a centre in Anambra State.
Besides, at least 22 persons were trampled to death,, 32 others injured.
As if these incidents were not enough, news rent the air again of another stampede in Abuja where a religious body had also intended to distribute palliatives to people in the spirit of the season.
10 people, including children, died, while eight others sustained injuries during a stampede at the church premises.
Doubtless, these incidents leave the heart with sore grief, anguish and pain.
However, they have opened up critical issues which can never be gloss over.
One could recall that consequent upon these sad occurrences, the president and some governors of the affected state had cancelled their personal engagements while they have equally ordered investigation into the incidents among other instructions especially as it has to do with safety,crowd management and control.
As good as these steps may be, it would amount to treating a wound on the surface leaving the pus to remain latent and eventually worsen the wound.
Pertinent to note that this was not the first time philanthropists would be reaching out to the less privileged, with no report of the unusual: stampedes, injuries and deaths.
It was gathered that in all the venues where the incidents occured, intended beneficiaries were there as early as five o’clock in the morning.
Infact, some were reported to have passed the night at the designated venues before the day of distribution .
This has only shown how economically impoverished Nigerians are today in a country that is globally known to be blessed with human and natural resources.
If people could keep vigil just for few congos of rice, and 5,000 naira that could only buy a congo of rice and few cups of beans, to the extent of stampeding each other, then one does not need a sooth sayer to know that these are people who have been battling with hunger.
This is consequent on economic realty in Nigeria today where having food on the table is becoming tougher for people, let alone meeting other demands of life.
While the organisers are suffering for their intended good will, it is very important that government does not close its eyes or block its ears to the issue of poverty and hunger biting Nigerians hard in the land.
Suffice to note that one of the three parameters to measure growth in a country is its ability to feed its people adequately.
Unfortunately,Nigeria is still grappling with hunger in the face of its abundance of natural resources.
Government should rise to the occasion to check rising inflation, which was triggered by the removal of subsidy resulting in hike in petroleum price, control prices of goods so that Nigerians can live a comfortable life this new year.
It is equally important to stress the need for couples to give birth to the number of children they can cater for, rather than having large number of children who end up suffering due to lack of means to feed or educate, or provide medicare for them
Philanthropists, who desire to extend milk of kindness to the less privileged must put in place necessary measures to make distribution of gifts orderly without harming any beneficiary so that their good is not evil spoken of.
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