A civic policy and advocacy organization, the Grassroots Centre for Rights & Civic Orientation (Grassroots Centre), has called for a comprehensive fact-finding mission to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the numerous deaths recorded during recent palliative distributions across the country.
According to a statement released on Monday by the Programs & Communications Coordinator of the group, Ms. Progress Ajanaku, several citizens have lost their lives in stampedes while struggling to benefit from palliative items. The Centre described the situation as both tragic and embarrassing, criticizing authorities at all levels for failing to make proper and effective arrangements for the distribution of the palliatives.
The Centre lamented that crowd control measures have been weak and ineffective, while measures for transparency, accountability, and inclusivity have been lacking in much of the palliative distribution processes. It also bemoaned the several tragic instances where citizens lost their lives in search of meagre and barely sufficient quantities of food, a situation it described as gross violation of their social and economic rights.
In one such instance at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), two students, Grace Danladi and Rose Micheal, lost their lives while 17 others sustained various degrees of injuries in a stampede that occurred during the distribution of palliatives. In February, seven people, including a pregnant woman, lost their lives while trying to get 10kg bags of rice at the Nigeria Customs Zonal Office in Yaba, Lagos. In Bauchi State, Northeast Nigeria, four women reportedly lost their lives during the distribution of Zakat (alms) at Shafa Holdings Company.
Grassroots Centre therefore called for an exhaustive probe by the authorities in the places where these anomalies occurred. The Centre insists that those who failed to properly organize the distribution of palliatives, and whose actions contributed to the loss of human lives, should be held to account. The Centre subsequently advocated for adequate compensation and support for the families who lost their loved ones to such stampedes.
The Centre similarly urged authorities responsible for the distribution of palliatives to adopt measures, which promote transparency, accountability, and openness. It said: “Given the crowd control challenges and deaths, which have happened, authorities should now think outside the box. Instead of huge crowds gathering at a single spot, civic organizations, churches, mosques and community leaders with integrity should be engaged to distribute palliatives in a de-centralized and efficient manner.
“Above all, the point must be made that Nigerians are not beggarly and dependent people who will be waiting for government handouts. It is the harsh and anti-people economic policies of the current government that have inflicted so much suffering, hunger and starvation on citizens. Therefore, the earlier governments all levels review and give a human face to their draconian policies, the better for the people.”
