BY DANIEL IDONOR
President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, directed the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to organised a special training of security agencies in crowd control and management to avoid future occurrence of the tragedy in Port Harcourt, last weekend.

As press time, no fewer than 19 people are said to have been confirmed dead while 29 others sustained various forms of injury in the stampede.

The incident is said to have occurred due to poor crowd control and poor security measures which include locking three of the four gates of the stadium, leaving just one open for both dignitaries and supporters who had thronged the stadium in their thousands to support the President.

Minister of Information and Communication, Mr Labaran Maku, who briefed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting which lasted about an hour, said the President warned that such tragedy must not repeat itself,  regretting that this unfortunate incident has happened in the past but efforts must be made to train security operatives on how to manage huge crowd.

This as the weekly FEC session, also yesterday unanimously passed a resolution commiserating with President Jonathan on the death of some supporters during his campaign rally in Rivers State.

Maku moved a motion to commensurate with Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the people of the South-South and the entire people of Nigeria over the loss of lives at the Port Harcourt rally.

“Members of Executive Council recall the tragic incident that occurred at the mammoth rally that the people of the South-South mounted to receive you during your presidential launching for the South-South last Saturday in Port Harcourt.

“This tragic event which was a sad ending in an otherwise an exemplary show of support by the people of South-South to your own presidential ambition, it has just reminded us again that sometimes even at the best moments, the enemy is always lurking around,” he said.

According to him, “the people of the south_south in that rally proved that indeed not only are they in total solidarity with Mr. President and Vice President in the forthcoming elections, but went the extra mile to bring out virtually all their people to show their solidarity”.

He added that “and because of the level of crowd that massed in Port Harcourt which is indeed an affirmation of the popularity of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the forthcoming elections, the unfortunate occurrence of the stampede led to loss of lives”.

“Today Sir, we members of the Federal Executive Council formerly commiserate with you over this sad loss because we know how painful it has been for you personally, for Mr. Vice President and indeed the entire members of government and the PDP. When people come out in such a rally to show support, to pray for you and some of them suddenly lose their lives, the weight of responsibility is on you and you have shown this by sending the Vice President in a powerful delegation to Port Harcourt to commiserate with the dead and visit those who are injured”.

He said “FEC commiserate with you and all those who lost their lives and also support you totally in our efforts to show them relief and take responsibility for those hospitalized. I wish therefore to move on behalf of council members this motion commiserating with you and the families of the departed, with the people of the south south, with PDP and indeed with all the people of Federal Republic of Nigeria for what happened. We pray that what happened, we pray God to repose their lives and indeed hope that such incident will not occur again”.

After the motion, President Jonathan called for a minute silence to be observed for those who lost their lives in Port Harcourt.