The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his scheduled visit to Benue on Wednesday, following the recent killings of over 200 people in the state.
Recall that President Tinubu, on Monday, said that he would adjust his schedule to visit Benue on Wednesday. He had earlier been scheduled to visit Kaduna on the same day to commission various state government projects.
“The President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction,” a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga reads in part.
Reacting to the President’s planned visit on Tuesday, Obi said: “It was refreshing news on Monday to a bewildered nation learning that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally decided to visit the scene of the brutal killings in Benue State. For this I thank him even as I make further request that similar gesture should be extended to Niger State that lost more number of human lives in a natural disaster, flood recently.
“Given the emergency nature of these incidents, a prompt visits would have delivered the urgency needed, instead of giving future dates that makes it look like a state visit. The presence of the President in these devastated and grieving communities will be very reassuring and uplifting.
“Both Benue and Niger States have lost over 200 lives each due to recent tragedies. In Mokwa alone, more than 200 people were confirmed dead, and over 1,000 are still missing following the floods. These are not just statistics; they are the lives of Nigerian families torn apart and their communities destroyed.”
The former Anambra State governor emphasised the proximity of the affected areas to the nation’s capital saying, “The distance from Abuja to these affected areas is not far. Abuja to Makurdi is about 282 km and Abuja to Mokwa is about 287 km.
“Combined, that’s roughly 1,134 km for a round trip to both locations, still significantly less than the 1,870 km round trip President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa recently made some days ago from Pretoria to Mthatha to personally visit flood victims in his country.
“Less than 100 persons died in Mthatha, and more than 200 died in Mokwa, with over 1000 still missing. If the South African President could do it, we trust that you, as our own President, can do the same for your people.”
Obi urged President Tinubu to ensure that a visit to Mokwa sends a strong message, that every Nigerian life matters, and that no community, no matter how rural, is forgotten.
He also appealed to the President to strengthen security measures across the country, particularly in disaster-prone areas.
“We look forward to seeing not leadership by remote control but proactive leadership that responds not just with words, but with compassion and action,” he added.
