By Adesina Quadri Ademola
The recent stampede that occurred in some parts of the country, such as Ibadan, Abuja and others, shows a critical failure in planning for the events and also safety management.
These incidents often occur in a place where there is relief distribution by religious groups, charity organisations and others. It’s very sad to see many lives lost in preventable situations simply because basic precautions are overlooked.
Another critical issue is the rate of unemployment and poverty in the country. These also cause a lot of problems because people don’t take their lives for fun. They do it because they are famished, struggling, and desperate for relief.
I urge the Government, the Nigerian forces, and the event organisers to please take precautions against stampede.
Firstly, I urged the Nigerian forces to train their officials on the ways to prevent crowds during a relief distribution because some of these stampedes also can be accredited to the force officials for not taking their jobs as they should.
Secondly, there should be public education or lectures on crowd safety. People should know what to do when in a crowded gathering, how to move safely and look out for others.
Lastly, The Government needs to provide more profitable employment opportunities, and empowerment to curb the high rate of unemployment in the country.
