Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP)
in the 2023 elections, has asked President Bola Tinubu to visit flood-ravaged
communities in Niger state.
In a post on X, Obi commended Tinubu for saying he would
visit Benue on Wednesday, following an upsurge in killings in the north-central
state.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
Obi said visiting affected communities promptly would show
genuine concern and convey urgency on the part of the presidency.
“Given the emergency nature of these incidents, a prompt
visit would have delivered the urgency needed, instead of giving future dates
that makes it look like a state visit,” he said.
He added that Tinubu’s physical presence would be
“reassuring and uplifting” to communities mourning their dead.
Obi said Benue and Niger states have lost more than 200
lives each in recent times.
“In Mokwa alone, more than 200 people were confirmed dead,
and over 1,000 are still missing following the floods,” he said.
“These are not just statistics; they are the lives of
Nigerian families torn apart and their communities destroyed.”
Obi said the president should be encouraged by the short
travel distances to the disaster zones.
“The distance from Abuja to Makurdi is about 282 km, and Abuja
to Mokwa is about 287 km,” he said.
“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 from Pretoria to Mthatha to personally
visit flood victims in his country.”
Obi noted that fewer than 100 persons died in Mthatha,
compared to more than 200 deaths and over 1,000 missing in Mokwa.
“If the South African president could do it, we trust that
you, as our own president, can do the same for your people,” he said.
He urged Tinubu to use a visit to Mokwa to send a clear
message that “all Nigerian lives matter” and no community is forgotten.
Obi also appealed for improved security in vulnerable and
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.
KILLING SPREE
On Monday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked Tinubu
to end the killings in Benue immediately.
The north-central state has experienced renewed attacks by
gunmen, with reports of killings occurring almost weekly.
On June 14, over 100 people were killed in attacks by
suspected herdsmen in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma LGA of the state.
The death toll from the killings reportedly rose to 200 on
Sunday, triggering nationwide outrage.
In a statement, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, alleged
that Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are “overwhelmed and have
abandoned” the security of citizens.
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