SOURCE: http://www.tutubranch.com/2013/07/sallah-gift-kills-children.html

The first thing that caught my attention about this story was that the Special Assistant to the governor of Sokoto State on Press Affairs, Malam Abubakar Dangusau, told THISDAY that he was not aware of this incident. An incident that hapenned right at the residence of the Governor? I'd come back to him later.

Sad news reaching me holds that 3 children have died and 8 other people are critically injured due a stampede at the Sokoto State Governor's residence while he was distributing Sallah gift to the people.

As THISDAY reports, "The governor usually doles out brocade to youths and wrappers to women with an additional N1,000 to enable them sew the clothes before the Sallah festivities every year. He does this as a personal gesture to assist the indigent to enable them have a sense of belonging during the festival."

Reportedly, there had been three queues as teenagers waited to collect clothing items from the Governor but unfortunately, this could not be maintained despite the efforts of security operatives and a struggle ensued. The result was the suffocation of 3 small children and the hospitalization of 8 other teenagers who are currently receiving treatment at the Specialist hospital.

My point: CREATE JOBS for the people rather than distribute meager sums of money that cannot sustain them to "give them a sense of belonging". First, give them a means of livelihood and see if they'd kill themselves over cloths and 1,000 Naira. No...I don't mean the distribution of the gifts is wrong in itself, but this incident only goes to show the extent of poverty in Nigeria.

Now, to the Special Assistant that said he didn't know about the matter, he should definitely be ashamed of himself. If such an occurence happened right under his nose and he heard nothing about it, it simply means that he grossly lacks competence to fit into that position that he claims to hold.

My point again: What is wrong with press secretaries and public relations officers in Nigeria who desperately try to keep their jobs by telling the public a lie? It is very terrible!