{"id":119866,"date":"2025-06-19T18:14:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T17:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=119866"},"modified":"2025-06-19T18:14:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T17:14:37","slug":"benue-tinubus-visit-carnival-not-condolence-obi-laments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/benue-tinubus-visit-carnival-not-condolence-obi-laments\/","title":{"rendered":"Benue: Tinubu\u2019s visit, carnival not condolence, Obi laments"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>By Myke Agunwa<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu\u2019s recent visit to Benue State, saying that it turned out a political rally rather than a condolence visit that should be a solemn moment between the president, grieving families, and a quiet meeting with other stakeholders.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Obi further criticized the state governor, Rev. Hyacinth Alia for declaring a public holiday as a result of the visit, saying that such a gesture contradicts the import of the visit.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Recall that armed gunmen last week, believed to be militant herdsmen, attacked Yelewata community in Guma LGA, Benue State, opened fire on sleeping residents, and set homes and market stalls ablaze. The death toll from the incident is about 150 with many more missing, others wounded and hundreds displaced.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This massacre is part of an orchestrated killings in Benue in the past two months where over 200 people have been killed across multiple coordinated attacks over recent weeks. The killing has been associated with disagreement and land grabbing conquests of farmers by pastoralists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Obi, in a post on his official X handle on Thursday, said that the president arrived at the venue in a celebrity regalia rather than a mourning toga.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe pleaded that the President should show leadership and visit Benue and Niger states in the spirit of deep national mourning, to offer compassion and solidarity to families torn apart by the senseless massacre of over 200 innocent Nigerians in Benue State and flooding that killed a similar number in Niger State,\u201d Obi stated.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He said that the President\u2019s posture and appearance did not reflect that of a mourner, but rather of one coming for a celebration.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy,\u201d Obi said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The former Anambra State governor further condemned the decision by the Benue State Government to declare a public holiday for the visit, alleging that the day was used to organise fanfare instead of prayer or reflection.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cChildren who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates and parents were instead lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the President.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cIn what kind of country does this happen?\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe have tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cA time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Comparing the visit with what obtains in other countries where other presidents visit areas of disaster Obi continued,<\/div>\n<div>\u201cWhen President Ramaphosa visited Mthatha after the floods in South Africa, there were no drums.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cNo staged crowds. No rented cheers. Just presence, silence, and action.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWhen Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThat is what leadership looks like in moments of pain,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He warned that the current approach was eroding the soul of the nation.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThese were human beings, children, mothers, fathers whose blood cries out for justice.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWhen very sad incidents like this turn to campaign or festival, our nation is losing its soul,\u201d Obi said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Tinubu had visited Benue State on Wednesday, following an attack that claimed over 100 lives. He also ordered security agencies to arrest the perpetrators.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe need to get our ears to the ground. Let\u2019s get those criminals. Let\u2019s get them out,\u201d the President told the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Tinubu also visited victims of the attack who are receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He was accompanied by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Myke Agunwa The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu\u2019s recent visit to Benue State, saying that it&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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