The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government for the palliatives-distribution tragedies in which many Nigerians lost their lives while many others were injured in stampedes.
In a statement yesterday – Sunday, December 22 – by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the formal national ruling party said the stampedes were as a result of pervasive hunger in the country, occasioned by the anti-people policies of the present administration
The PDP described as heartbreaking a situation where Nigerians routinely lose their lives while struggling to find food to eat, despite the abundant resources in the country.
“The Party laments the tragic stampede at private events in Oyo and Anambra states, as well as in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, which claimed the lives of about 60 vulnerable citizens, including children, in their desperate struggle for food as a result of the pervasive hunger in the land, occasioned by the anti-people policies of the APC administration.
“The PDP is devastated that the APC-led administration has wrecked our once thriving economy and pushed millions of Nigerians deeper into abject poverty and hunger with many citizens, not being able to afford their daily meals, now resorting to suicide and desperate measures, including slavery mission abroad and fighting for crumbs for survival.
“It is heartbreaking that despite our abundant resources as a nation, Nigerians have been subjected to agonising life where they die struggling for food,” the PDP stated.
According to the opposition party, the situation in the country has confirmed the APC as a party that “has no iota of regard for human life but rather derives pleasure in the suffering and death of citizens, including innocent children.”
“Only this explains why the APC administration continues in arrogant false performance claims, including empty assurances of food sufficiency, while deliberately failing to make the required investments to boost the productive sector, particularly in agriculture and food production.
“This also explains why the APC administration has rejected all advice and suggestions by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians to review the hasty implementation of the suffocating policies of abrupt increase in the price of petroleum products and the floating of the Naira, despite the crippling consequences on the productive sector and life-discounting effect on the citizenry.
“More provoking is that instead of deploying the nation’s resources for the wellbeing of the people, the APC leaders are engaged in massive looting through direct pillaging of the government’s vaults, budget padding, contract inflation, oil subsidy scam, palliative racketeering and phoney programmes, which have no benefit to the lives of the citizens,” the PDP said in the statement issued by Ologunagba.
Consequently, the party has called on Nigerians to hold the federal government responsible for the remote cause of the incidents, insisting the government must recompense the families of the victims of the tragedies.
“Our party insists that any administration that is sensitive and cares for the people would have since introduced intervention programmes to ease the suffering and improve on the welfare of the masses, which is the primary purpose of government,” the PDP further contended.
“For the umpteenth time, the PDP demands the immediate review of all the suffocating economic and tax policies of the APC administration, which are bringing misery and death to Nigerians daily.
“The PDP commiserates with Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for the death of the children at the private event, which has brought agony and pain to many families and the people of Oyo State at this time.
“Our party commends Governor Makinde for his rapid response in swiftly moving the victims to hospitals for immediate medical assistance, which helped to save many lives.
“The PDP also condoles with the families of the victims of the Anambra State and Abuja food stampede, while calling for an investigation into the immediate cause of the three tragic incidents so as to prevent such a sad occurrence in the future.”
