Edo opposition demands governor's apology over children's event stampede

A Children's Day celebration in Edo State, Nigeria, devolved into chaos, leading to injuries and hospitalizations among students. The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has demanded a public apology from Governor Monday Okpebholo, citing the use of pepper spray by private security personnel as the cause of a stampede.

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This tragedy, which had 50 children being hospitalised, has again exposed Governor Monday Okpebholo-led government as very weak and lacking in crowd control mechanism, and its failure to protect the children, especially the girl-child.

The CRPP stated that the incident, which resulted in 50 children being hospitalized, exposed the governor's administration as "very weak and lacking in crowd control mechanism." The group also criticized the government's "children and youth-friendly" image as a "mere smoke screen." The coalition further questioned the decision to employ private security for crowd management at such a large-scale event, especially when their methods allegedly led to panic and injury.

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It further exposed the government that prides itself as children and youth-friendly as a mere smoke screen.

Adding to the controversy, the CRPP claimed the successful invasion of the stadium by suspected cultists undermined the governor's assertions of eradicating cultism in the state. "It is now obvious that he has much work to do on security in the state as cultism and other criminal activities still fester," the statement read.

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Why should a government use non state actors such as Bouncers operated by private companies and are not trained for large crowd control to take control of a ceremony of such magnitude?

However, the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, dismissed the CRPP's claims, particularly the hospitalization figures, as "a lie." He also criticized the coalition's leader, Francis Isibor, for leading an "unregistered body" for over two decades. The CRPP, in turn, insisted on an apology from the governor for the "avoidable calamity."

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CRPP therefore demands an unreserved apology from Governor Monday Okpebholo and his government to Edo children and their parents over this avoidable calamity perpetrated by incompetent State and non-state actors.