The Southwest chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has expressed condolences to the government and people of Oyo State following the tragic stampede at a children’s Christmas funfair in Ibadan, which claimed the lives of several children and left many injured.
The stampede occurred on Wednesday at an event offering free festivities for children, drawing a massive crowd that led to the unfortunate incident.
PDP Southwest Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, in a statement issued on Friday in Ado Ekiti, sympathised with Governor Seyi Makinde and the affected families, praying for divine comfort.
Atofarati attributed the tragedy to the harsh economic conditions in the country, which he said pushed families to seek free entertainment for their children.
The statement partly read, “We are using this incident to call on the Federal Government to improve the standard of living in Nigeria. What happened is as a result of poverty in the land.
“The Federal Government should intensify efforts in ensuring that there is provision of adequate jobs for parents to be able to take proper care of their children and also to improve standards of living in the country. The event is quite unfortunate.
“The PDP in the Southwest sympathises with the people and government of Oyo State over the unfortunate incident and the accompanying stampede and loss of lives of children. We prayed that God consoles the families that lost their children in the incident.”
Atofarati, however, lauded the swift intervention of the Makinde-led government of Oyo State and the rescue efforts which saved the lives of some of the children who sustained injuries and the probing of the incident.
