Dark Christmas: Stampede to death for fistful of rice, by Mohmood Tunde Hassan, PhD
In a season of glad tidings, what do we make of the scenario in 3 locations, North, South and East, of children, women and other vulnerable Nigerians, stampeded to death just to get food to eat? Perhaps, with the stark reality of serial deaths for three consecutive days running, of children, women and other hungry Nigerians, just days to Christmas, the conscience of the nation may be, just may be, pricked even if, just a little.
First was Ibadan, 35 children dead.The following day, 10 persons died in Abuja Holy Trinity Catholic Church. A day later, with just short moments to Xmas, a season of joy, merriment, fiesta and celebrations, another 30 met their tragic death in Okija, Anambra State.
In all of these serial tragic scenarios, the circumstances were the same; stampede, resulting from scrambles just to get what to eat and perhaps, reserve just to feel a sense the festivities of Christmas like others. What do we make of such a calamity?
How do we explain such a doom and live with ourselves as a nation?
How? How, I ask again? Must it get to this dastardly state for the leadership at all levels and across the country, to fully take responsibility and accept they have failed?Isn’t the multiple death incidents, another glaring indictment of a system that has failed its people in a resource-rich nation, trapped in pitiable state where attempting to get a cup of rice, becomes a death sentence for family members? If at all, this band of leadership ever thought that the litany of damning and credible figures of hunger, lack, and deprivation, in the public domain, were trumped to spite them for their ineptitude and insensitivity, can they still snub away the cold corpses in Ibadan, Abuja and Okija? Don’t the misfortunes of the last few days, say it all?.
Aren’t we bothered about the 2024 UN hunger Statistics projection hat 33 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity, including over 16 million children. not knowing where their next meal will come up from? That’s about 15% of the population, up from 7% in 2022.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says Nigeria is having one the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. In Katsina alone, Medicine San Froniter, Doctors Without Borders, says it has treated more than 100,000 children for malnutrition so far this year.
For whatever excuses that may be fabricated, is there anything to justify Nigerians; children, women, and fraill others, cut down and stampeded to death just in a feeble attempt to get food to eat?How can this country that was once a net exporter and producer of food; today turned literally, into starving nation? Why is it that amidst the ravaging hunger and with many, skipping or rationing meals, yet, the the public space is awash with scenarios of wreckless extravagance and insatiable frivolities as in the alleged stupendous budgetary provisions for refreshments for political leadership across the tiers of government, including at the highest levels?
Let’s pose to think for a moment about the choices as they are. Sad and horrific as it is, and while facing the fact that nothing can be done about those already dead from the hungry stampede, can the nation continue to stay the path of the systemic failures and policy mis-steps that have created the disproportionate number of people, trapped in multi-dimensional poverty and hunger bracket?
Yes, the President has cancelled all events planned for the season as tribute to the monumental tragedy and yes, the Police has warned against anymore stampede-causing charade without proper arrangements for safeguards but, is that it?
READ ALSO: CISLAC condemns deadly stampedes amid rising hunger crisis in Nigeria
Would there have been these attention-seeking grandstands in the name of palliatives if it wasn’t for commutative mis governance? Now, it’s so bad, military personnel are reportedly being detailed to supervise distribution of palliatives. Isn’t this absurd? Are we ready to frontally confront the governance deficits that created and is perpetuating hunger in the land among other disgraceful drawbacks that betray the level of human advances beyond banal basics in this day and age?When will the nation’s policy drivers, at all levels, quit the lip service and cosmetic half-hearted antics that have not and cannot address the debilitating and dehumanzing conditions most Nigerians have found themselves?
Would it be out of place to state that if the horrific stampede, resulting in the death of close to 100 Nigerians, among them, children and women, doesn’t jolt the nation to its current dire realities, then nothing will especially, coming in a season meant for celebration and happening at different locations almost simultaneously, just days apart?
In closing, I dare ask; what really does it take for the leadership to commit, I mean, really commit, to sustainable provision of bare essentials, like food, just food? Nigerians deserve better than to be scrambling to death just for a fistful of grains. Isn’t it time to rethink our national priorities?
Stealing and misusing State resources that can otherwise be put to better the lots of citizens, is certainly not part of the priorities.
Heart-felt condolences to those who have again joined the growing bracket of Nigerians that are casualties of cumulative irresponsible governance through the years, and worsening still. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.
Mohmood Tunde Hassan writes from Abuja
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