Every year end, with millions reeling from the effects of poverty and the inability to undertake a decent celebration of their yearlong survival, good hearted people who consider themselves better endowed financially glimpse in this a good opportunity to extend goodwill through distribution of foodstuff, cash, etc.
These days, such good deeds are all lumped together under the ‘palliative’ moniker, a word that captures the relentless wave of weakness that Nigerians endure as they lose the purchasing power they once had. So now there’s a huge dependence on handouts every day but especially at festive periods to ensure the holiday season is not celebrated on empty stomachs, this being of critical importance to adults who have kids and cannot bear to see their kids go hungry on such days.
Ex Queen Naomi Silekunola, formerly married to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, is one of those who have made a habit of fixing palliatives for less privileged Nigerians where they can get raw food and cash with which they can celebrate the holidays ‘with their full chest” as we say in these parts. Last year’s, on December 18, 2024, although as well intentioned as the ones in previous years, ended up not good at all. In view of the massive crowds (many times well over what was prepared for) and lack of adequate crowd control measures in place, 35 people died as they stampeded for the cash and food items on offer at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Oyo State. Worse still, numbered among the dead were many children because the 2024 edition was specially designed for kids.
A heart-breaking tragedy. Which landed the ex-queen and her co-collaborators now turned ‘accomplices’ in police cell for about two weeks. The Oyo State Governor, Oluwaseyi Makinde, was especially vociferous in condemning the shoddy preparations which led to the unavoidable deaths. And he was adamant that proper prosecution must ensue to deal punishment and to serve as deterrence for everyone else in the years ahead.
Bad as the Ibadan incidence was, however, it was not the only one. Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, also had well publicized killer stampedes. All in all, about 100 lives were lost to stampedes in 2024 alone. That number is unacceptable and government needs to, beyond arresting ‘culprits’ most of whom only wanted to help, also take a sterner look at its policies and their implementation as it explores ways to make things easier on the masses.
The government information machinery is usually on overdrive with the information people having very strong words for anyone who as much as confronts or points out government inefficiency in dealing with any errant situation. While we understand the need for appointees to do their job, being overly defensive in the face of clear evidence that confirms government culpability or enablement is, to say the least, unhelpful. Even the president, one would want to believe, understands that the stampedes were the result of the unabating hunger length and breadth of Nigeria.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is himself a well-known palliative dispenser. The long line of hungry hopefuls at his Ikoyi Bourdillon private residence every holiday season bears witness to the growing mass of men (and women, and children) who are dead tired of leading lives of quiet desperation.
Many people who used to have gainful jobs are now locked in impotent positions where their jobs barely deliver transport fare to and from work, or they are out of work altogether, (and not all of them sacked, by the way), a growing number is voluntarily opting out of paid employment, preferring to stay at home if all they get is the slave wage (thoroughly depreciated) that does not deliver on anything that a proper wage ought to.
The twin whammy of fuel subsidy removal and naira floating has done incalculable damage to the purchasing power and therefore living standard of the average Nigerian. It’s a wonder that many still have their wits about them despite the unremitting barrage of economic pounding that comes direct from government policies. The government on its part has said that these policies were and are unavoidable if the country must make progress.
All of these said, it still behoves on those who want to do good, to put adequate measures in place that ensure casualty free events so that the joy intended is not turned to sorrow as happened in 2024.
