‘Our nation losing its soul’, Peter Obi condemns Tinubu’s visit to Benue over carnage
Peter Obi
Abdullateef Fowewe
Former Governor of Anambra and the Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023 general election, Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue States following devastating carnages that claimed over 200 lives in the state.
Obi in a statement on Thursday questioned, “What has happened to our compassion as a People?”
Obi lamented the lack of solemnity during the President’s visit, noting, “Instead of a solemn, reflective visit, a display that would have been more befitting for the commissioning of reconstructed Enugu-Makurdi highway.
“The President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy.”
He further expressed heartbreak over the state’s handling of the mourning period.
“Rather than being in mourning mood and weeping, the state declared a public holiday, not for reflection or prayer, but to organise fanfare.
“Children who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates were instead lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the President. In what kind of country does this happen?” Obi added.
He thereby condemned the transformation of condolence visits into “carnivals,” stating, “A time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles. We chose optics over empathy.”
He contrasted Nigeria’s response with examples from other countries, establishing, “When President Ramaphosa visited Mthatha after the floods in South Africa, there were no drums. No staged crowds. No rented cheers. Just presence, silence, and action. When Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted. That is what leadership looks like in moments of pain.”
Obi’s closing call was a plea for national reflection and change, noting, “We must ask ourselves: What kind of people have we become? When very sad incidents like this turn to campaign or festival, our Nation Losing Its Soul. A new Nigeria is POssible!”
Tinubu visited Benue State on Wednesday, following the carnage that claimed several lives, where the president ordered security agencies to arrest the perpetrators, Dailyeconomy reports.
