Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has slammed the Benue State Government for organising a fanfare for President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the state.
Mr. Obi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Thursday said the President’s arrival was greeted with rousing fanfare as if he was in the state to commission projects.
He noted that apart from the declaration of public holiday in the state, Children who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates, and parents were lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the President
Obi who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, lamented that the country has tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals.
He stated that a time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles.
“Precious Nigerian lives have been lost, yet we’re clapping, singing, and organizing processions, as though this were a campaign rally. This is not how any compassionate nation behaves,” he said.
The Labour Party Stalwart said the energy, resources, and logistics poured into this charade could have gone into food supplies, temporary shelters, medical aid, school support, and trauma counselling for grieving families. Instead, the state chose optics over empathy.
“Look elsewhere: When President Ramaphosa visited Mthatha after the floods in South Africa, there were no drums. No staged crowds. No rented cheers. Just presence, silence, and action.
“When Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted. That is what leadership looks like in moments of pain.
“We must ask ourselves: What kind of people have we become? Enough of this culture of impunity. We are not at war yet our nation is bleeding, and we are clapping. It is not only insensitive, it is dangerous.
“Let us not forget: These were human beings, children, mothers, fathers whose blood cries out for justice. When very sad incidents like this turns to campaign or festival, our Nation Losing Its Soul,” Obi said.
