Several Nigerians lost their lives in the past few days while struggling to benefit from palliatives being distributed by the government amid the rising hunger in the land.
The latest is the unfortunate incident at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, where two students were reported dead during the distribution of palliatives while 23 have been hospitalised.
Governor Abdullahi Sule had ordered the distribution of two 7.5 kg bags of rice and N5,000 to each student of the state university in Keffi, the state capital.
However, two students- Grace Danladi and Rose Michael died in the unfortunate incident, while others were injured during a stampede ahead of the distribution of the palliatives to students of the school.
An official statement said the palliatives were billed for distribution at the convocation arena of the school before some students overpowered the security on the ground, causing a stampede that resulted in the death and injuries of the students while they carted away the food items.
In his reaction, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State said the death of the two students was not as a result of government’s negligence.
The governor made the statement when he appeared as a guest on Channel’s Television.
“It’s not something that happened on the part of negligence by the government.
“It’s very unfortunate that it happened but it had nothing to do with any planning, it has nothing to do with any negligence. We have been to eight places.
It was the last place, which would have been the ninth institution that we went to. So, all these other places that we went, everything went so smoothly,” he said.
According to him, the stampede was not because of planning but because some students thought that their names were being replaced by the Students’ Union Government of the institution, hence the anxiety.
“We are very sad that two students died. We are talking with the families. So, for somebody to politicise it? It’s unfortunate that we are in a country where everybody looks at a tragedy and politicize it,” he added.
