Yorùbá World Congress Worldwide (YWC) has advised Nigerian government to address the root causes of stampedes across the country so as to prevent further loss of lives and property.
The group sympathises with the bereaved families, and prayed may the innocent souls of the deceased rest in perfect peace and may God grant the entire families and their loved ones the fortitude to bear the huge losses.
The group called on the federal, state governors and all local government authorities across the country to find lasting solutions to the widespread hunger, unemployment and poverty in the country.
YWC in a statement made available to journalists through the trio of its Co founder Engineer Adekunle Ogundana, Secretary General Engineer Stephen Ajayi and the Contact and Mobilisation Director, J.P Oyinade, on Thursday called on the federal government and state governors to provide basic necessities of lives for the citizens so as to reduce the level of poverty in the country.
The group while speaking on the recent stampedes that occurred in Ibadan, Okija in Anambra and Maitama in Abuja, lamented that the root causes of the stampedes are poverty, unemployment and hunger.
it decried the continuous incarceration of the principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun Ibadan Mr Abdullahi Fasasi, proprietor of Agidigbo FM Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and Olori Naomi Silekunola the estranged wife of Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi who were arrested in connection with the stampede in Ibadan.
The group maintained that it is the government that should be held accountable for the loss of lives because it has failed in its responsibility to provide essential services for the citizens.
It noted that, it was when the government failed in its responsibility to provide essential services for the people that philanthropists came out to assist the poor.
They added that continued prosection of people who meant well for the masses as it is being witnessed in the case of those arrested in connection with Ibadan stampede is a way to suppress other spirited Nigerians who may want to assist the poor in the future.
The group then used the opportunity to plead for the immediate release of the Principal, Hamzat and Silekunola. Who were unfairly arrested over the incident.
“We the members of Yorùbá World Congress Worldwide (YWC) are using this medium to advice Nigerian government to address the root causes of stampedes across the country. This will go a long way to prevent further loss of lives and property.
“We are calling on the federal and state governors across the country to find lasting solutions to the widespread hunger, unemployment and poverty in the country. We called on the federal government and state governors to provide basic necessities of life for the citizens, so as to reduce the level of poverty in the country.
“We are concerned about the continued incastration of the principal of the school, Mr. Abdullahi Fasasi, proprietor of Agidigbo FM, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and Olori Naomi Silekunola.
“We are aware that the stampedes occured in three locations within a week. This resulted into death of more than fifty people. It occurred in Ibadan, Oyo state, Okija in Anambra and Maitama in Abuja. This is an indication that it is a national issue. It is the outcome of poverty, unemployment and hunger in the land.
“Continuous incarceration of the principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun Ibadan Mr Abdullahi Fasasi, proprietor of Agidigbo FM Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and Olori Naomi Silekunola the estranged wife of Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi who were arrested in connection with the stampede in Ibadan is abnormal.
Since there was no law against organising charitable programs in Nigeria; it is very unfair to keep them in prison, because they broke no law by given an helping hands to the poor.
“It is the government that should be held accountable for the loss of lives because it has failed in its responsibility to provide essential services for the citizens. It was when the government failed in its responsibility to provide essential services for the people that philanthropists came out to assist the underprivileged
“Continued prosection of people who meant well for the masses as it is being witnessed in the case of those arrested in connection with Ibadan stampede is a way to suppress other spirited Nigerians who may want to assist the poor in the future. We are calling for immediate release of the principal, Hamzat and Silekunola. This is not the first time of stampede. We want the governments at all levels to address the root causes of the stampedes instead of unnecessary diversion from the main causes.
“During a recruitment exercise by the Nigeria Immigration Service at various centres across Nigeria (Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Niger, Edo and Abuja), no fewer than 18 job seekers died, with many others injured, as thousands of applicants tried to enter the venues in 2014 and no one way prosecuted. A stampede occurred on February 23, 2024, during the struggle by a crowd at the distribution of seized bags of rice by the Nigeria Customs Service at its office in Yaba. “No one was prosecuted”.
“At least three students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, died in a stampede when the students looted rice given for distribution by the government. Who was prosecuted? At least no fewer than 20 people died, while several others were injured during a sallah stampede in Ilorin, the Kwara capital. The incident occurred during rice distribution by former Governor Bukola Saraki. “We are aware that no one was arrested for this too”.
