***Urges leaders to make food more affordable

By Olayinka Ajayi

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has described the loss of almost 60 precious lives, mostly children, in stampedes that snowballed from palliative distributions, as a dagger to the hearts of Nigerians.

The President of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke stated this while commiserating with President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Solodo, over the back-to-back fatal stampedes that recently occurred in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital; Okija in Anambra State; and the Nigerian Federal Capital, Abuja.

Oke, in a statement, urged leaders to enact policies and strategies that will make food more affordable to the common man.

He said, “The loss of almost 60 precious lives, mostly children, is a dagger to our hearts. We pray that the God of all grace will comfort and strengthen His Excellencies and all the families affected. Our thoughts are with them, including the injured. We wish them a swift recovery”.

PFN further commended the health authorities and first responders who bravely rushed to the aid of those in need, providing life-saving care during the critical moment. Their dedication and care, he said, are truly commendable.

In the light of this tragedy, PFN called for thorough investigations and the immediate implementation of policies and structures designed to prevent such a calamity from occurring in the future.
“Ensuring safety protocols at all gatherings, especially those involving children, must be a top priority. We must carefully examine the conditions that led to these catastrophes and take meaningful steps to protect all participants in future events.
“It is symptomatic of a collapsed economy, despite the fact that Nigeria is a specially blessed and endowed nation. Our leaders need to pay more attention to enacting laws and putting in place policies and strategies that will make food more affordable to the common man. It is sad to see people struggling for food and getting killed in the process in a land that is flowing with milk and honey.”