Former Vice President of World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili, has advocated for the release of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi’s former wife, Naomi, Owner of Ibadan-based radio station, Oriyomi Hamzat, and others remanded at the Agodi Correctional Center by the Federal High Court over the tragedy that occurred during a children funfair in Oyo State.
Ezekwesili added that the court should dismiss the allegations of murder against the individuals, by acting in the spirit of jurisprudence and not mere legalism as brought before it by the State Government.
She noted that the former queen and others held by the court were benefactors assisting Nigerians including parents of the deceased children to survive, saying they are being held in custody for “doing good that went wrong”.
The former minister made the appeal on Friday while reacting to the court suit instituted against the event organisers in Ibadan where 35 children were confirmed dead during a stampede that occurred in the state.
According to her, “Still on the food stampedes across the country. What are these self-righteous indignations and outrage from public officials and institutions towards philanthropic citizens and organizations all about?
“I mean, is it that the well-fed of our society fail to see that it is actually the generosity and social safety net being provided by individuals- here at home and abroad – and their organizations that have kept the poor of the Land going?
“Reading the statements of President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, and National Assembly as well as many senior, junior, and minion public officials as well as their allies, you can tell how totally detached from reality these people all are.
“These self-indulgent folks are cocooned away in luxury and blind to how desperate the times are for their fellow Nigerians who now embrace the risk of death to get a “ loaf of bread” for themselves and their children.
“How are these “leaders” failing to connect the dots on how their serial leadership failures have turned normally quiet food charity events (that used to happen without any risk to life) into death traps?
“Do these public officials not understand that unlike a few Nigerians that used to need handouts in the past, majority now do and that it is the massive increase that has placed inordinate pressure on the capacity of the humanitarians?
“Humility and empathy remain in short supply among our public officials and that’s unfortunate but please stop dragging those who were evidently helping fill the gap that your own failures massively created.
“I hope the courts will act in the spirit of jurisprudence and not mere legalism on the matters of benefactors being held in custody for “doing good that went wrong”.
