The former governor of Anambra state and 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, in a statement on Thursday faulted the preparation of Benue State government in welcoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his condolence visit.
Benue State had last week been attack by Fulani Herdsmen killing 200 people, children inclusive and the president’s silence over the matter caused an uproar in the nation even when other leaders including Pope Leo XIV sent condolence messages to the state and the victims’ families, the presidency kept mute.
There had been calls from all corners that the president should put humanity to the face of presidency and show compassions to affected victims, communities and the state as a whole, like it was done in South Africa during the flood and India when a plane crashed killing over 200 hundred people, their leaders were present at those communities and scene of disaster respectively.
Tinubu broke silence on Monday when during a speech he said he will clear his schedule to visit the affected state on Wednesday, however he admonished the people of Benue to live in peace-harmony with their neighbors and other tribes.
He described Nigeria as one big house where everyone has its own room, stating that its ability to live in one accord without tribalism is what drives the country towards prosperity.
On Wednesday during his visit to the state, there had been heavy down pour and flooding with public school children lined up on roads awaiting the coming of the president, amidst fanfare and dancing.
Obi condemned the state government for turning the condolence visit into a ‘carnival’ of some sort, stating that the president disposition does not communicate compassion or mourning for its people, as the state included a lot of fanfare in welcoming the president, making it more of a celebration while he questioned, ‘what has happened to our compassion as a People?’
The former governor’s statement read: “We pleaded that the President should show Leadership and visit Benue and Niger States in the spirit of deep national mourning, to offer compassion and solidarity to families torn apart by the senseless massacre of over 200 innocent Nigerians in Benue State and flooding that killed similar number in Niger State.
“But what we saw in Benue visit was instead of a solemn, reflective visit, a display that would have been more befitting for the commissioning of reconstructed Enugu-Makurdi highway, a critical road connecting South and Northern Nigeria which had become impassable for years.
“The President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy.
Even more heartbreaking is the role of the State. Rather than been in mourning mood and weeping declared a public holiday, not for reflection or prayer, but to organize fanfare. Schools were shut down. Children who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates, and parents were instead lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the President. In what kind of country does this happen?
“We have tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals. A time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles. Precious Nigerian lives have been lost, yet we’re clapping, singing, and organizing processions, as though this were a campaign rally.
“This is not how any compassionate nation behaves. The energy, resources, and logistics poured into this charade could have gone into food supplies, temporary shelters, medical aid, school support, and trauma counselling for grieving families. Instead, we chose optics over empathy.
“Look elsewhere: When President Ramaphosa visited Mthatha after the floods in South Africa, there were no drums. No staged crowds. No rented cheers. Just presence, silence, and action. When Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted. That is what leadership looks like in moments of pain.
“We must ask ourselves: What kind of people have we become?
“Enough of this culture of impunity. We are not at war yet our nation is bleeding, and we are clapping. It is not only insensitive, it is dangerous.
“Let us not forget: These were human beings, children, mothers, fathers whose blood cries out for justice.
“When very sad incidents like this turns to campaign or festival, our Nation Losing Its Soul.” The presidential candidate added.
By: Adeoye Olorunseun Elizabeth
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