By Isyaka Laminu Badamasi
The Inspector General of Police’s concerns and warning against the unorganised distribution of palliatives and relief items that led to confrontation and stampede come at the right time. His calls on groups, individuals, and NGOs planning to distribute alms to the needy to ensure proper planning to avoid stampedes and unnecessary confrontations among citizens seeking assistance are commendable.
During the two unfortunate events at Maitama, Abuja and Okija in Anambra state, several persons lost their lives. Many injured with different degrees of injuries receive treatment at other health facilities where the IGP reiterates the force’s commitment to supporting efforts to create a safer and more structured environment for aid distribution in our communities to prevent future tragedies and ensure such processes are seamless.
To achieve a tragedy-free engagement, philanthropists should collaborate with relevant stakeholders in organising such gatherings. These include security organisations, religious groups, community leaders, and civil society organisations.They should also leverage technology to achieve a hitch-free and transparent selection of beneficiaries and relief distribution.
Crowd management experts and safeguard specialists are very key in the actualisation of a seamless approach; these could be found in many government and private organisations such as the Nigerian Police as highlighted above, NEMA/SEMA, International relief organisations working at different IDP camps, decades involved in this special tasks in the country.
According to online resources on crowd management and safety, emergency preparedness and management are key, access control, crowd density, and surveillance are paramount, barrier fencing, communications and risk assessment, as well as post-events analysis, knowing your crowd and their dynamics, and positioning security personnel in strategic locations are key to achieving a safer and more effective event organisation.
Organisers of such events should choose spacious, open areas with minimal obstacles and should be scheduled when the crowd is likely to be smaller; this is where the religious and community leaders will come in by submitting the lists of the vulnerable people who primarily benefited from such relief.
The order by the Inspector General of Police to investigate the circumstances that led to the two unfortunate tragedies is commendable. This highlighted the command’s commitment to ensuring safer and better ways to avoid the sad incident in the future,
Leadership at all levels needs to see the importance and urgency of developing policies and programs to cushion Nigerians’ hunger and poverty levels; this can go a long way in reducing the number of people from trooping to alms distribution events. It will enable them to tread cautiously and prioritise their safety to avoid unforeseen calamities, as the IGP emphasises.
The National Orientation Agency, established to communicate government policies, stay abreast of public opinion, and promote patriotism and national unity, should, as a matter of public interest, develop a sensitisation program, specifically on the Nigerian government’s health and safety measures. This could be achieved through Drama, Skits,and Jingles, leveraging the FRCN radio stations and civil society organisations nationwide to achieve the desired objectives.
Our condolences go to the families and relatives of those who lost their loved ones during the unfortunate incident and to those injured, wishing them a quick recovery.
Isyaka Laminu Badamasi is the Bauchi State Coordinator for the Youths O’clock Nigeria.