An analyst and lawyer, Justice Osai Ahiakwo has alleged that bad government, and attendant bad economic policies by the present federal government are the immediate causes of the stampedes which claimed many lives in three states of Nigeria in one week.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, Anambra State and Federal Capital Territory Abuja people died whilst struggling to collect food palliatives.
Ahiakwo, in an interview in Calabar, lamented that it was pathetic to note that both hunger and bad government were the factors that drove the people to their early deaths.
He stated that festive periods ought to be seasons for celebrations and not time to throw people into mourning.
“The primary cause of hunger is a direct resultant effect of bad governance and running bad economic policies to the disadvantage of the people.”
Ahiakwo said the federal government must be held responsible for the aftermath of failing in its duty to provide the necessities of sustaining human lives.
He noted that there is a complete breakdown of societal order in the country following the very high costs of living.
According to him, these have compelled people to adopt the survival of the fittest approach.
Ahiakwo said, “The people have lost hope in government and are ready to desperately struggle for survival.
“According to Chapter 2, Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which explicitly provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, can no longer hold sway as nothing substantial have been done to guarantee the people of their safety and wellbeing.”
He maintained that it was a dereliction of responsibility by the government to allow the series of stampedes that occurred in Oyo, Anambra States and recently in Abuja FCT in quick succession.
He stressed that the needless occurrences were preventable if those in control of political power were mindful of their primary purpose of being in positions of authority as defined by the Constitution.
He called on the people to use the indices of the stampede to assess the performance of the current government to enable them determine their future in the next election year.
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