Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), has commiserated with the victims and families of the Ibadan Christmas funfair tragedy, calling on governments not to allow good intentions and good deeds become regrettable with the ordeals of the former Queen, Naomi Silekunola.
It would be recalled that Queen Naomi had on December 18, organised a Christmas funfair for children at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The event however, became tragic, leading to the death of 35 children.
Against this backdrop, the State government is prosecuting some people, including the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Queen Naomi; the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Basorun Abdullahi Fasasi.
Reacting to the incident, YCE through its Secretary-General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, said the estranged Queen’s position should be viewed from the humanitarian perspective.
That is the noble position of the YCE.
Oyewole said life, in Nigeria, has been tough and it remains tough for all and sundry.
He stated that the gloomy situation in the land would make the hungry, and the needy masses to seek temporary succour by looking for survival in whatever form – food or money for food wherever it may appear from.
The Secretary-General maintained that there is hardship in the land to the extent that there is hardly any adult Nigerian who, today, cannot share an experience of the disgrace and low level of pity to which our humanity has been subjected.
Oyewole said the gathering of children and the adults who took them to the venue in Ibadan should be viewed as a serious reflection of lack of social security for all Nigerians.
He added that those children would not have been taken to such a location as described in Ibadan because of freebies which otherwise ought to have been provided by their parents, government or by accredited Government Agencies.
He said: ‘’It is with trepidation that we have learnt of the unfortunate stampede which occurred in Ibadan over the yuletide season of the year of our Lord 2024.
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