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AT LAST, TINUBU VISITS BENUE WEDNESDAY OVER CONTINUED KILLINGS
President Bola Tinubu has announced his resolve to visit Benue on Wednesday following the continued killing of some residents by suspected Fulani pastoralists.
The president disclosed this on Monday when he commissioned The Greater Abuja Water Supply Network, Loops 1, 2, 5 & 6 of the Federal Capital City, FCC.
“While I sympathise with the Benue people, I have spoken to the governor, the leadership and people of Benue to accept our condolences and try hard, very consciously, to maintain peace and harmony among themselves.
“I have always said we are one single, huge family living in the same house, say in different rooms but living together in harmony which should be the result of our diversity for prosperity. We should be able to manage our anger and frustrations.
“I will adjust my programme and go see Benue people on Wednesday,” the president said.
Many Nigerians have been very critical over President Tinubu’s inability to visit Benue and other states where a lot of people had lost their lives due to sectarian attacks and natural disasters.
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 election, Peter Obi, in particular, called out President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Niger and Benue States following the massive flooding and community violence respectively in the two states which has resulted in loss of lives and destruction of properties.
He lamented that when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and their suffering is ignored.
He added that in contrast to the action of President Tinubu, when similar disasters struck in India and South Africa, their leaders were quick to visit the affected communities and stand with the people.
In his words, “Leadership of a nation is such that it’s either succeeding or failing, none can be hidden. There are critical areas of leadership that must exist for a nation to move forward, and these are summed up in four Cs: Competence, Capacity, Character and Compassion. Where these four are non-existent, there is no magic you can do.
“It’s in this line that I have always maintained that we must move away from voting based on tribe and religion, and begin to vote for people with competence, capacity, character, and compassion, because we have all seen, painfully, what leadership without these qualities has done to our country.
“Competence because Nigeria today needs a leader who understands the issues, who has the knowledge, experience, and clear ideas to solve them. Capacity because it is not a ceremonial position; it requires strength, stamina, and the mental energy to confront our complex challenges. And above all, leadership must be rooted in character and integrity because without integrity, public trust collapses, corruption thrives, and selfishness takes over. But perhaps most importantly, we need compassion, because when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and suffering is ignored.
“Sadly, the evidence is right before our eyes. Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing. Yet, not even a single presidential visit, this, in a nation where the scene of the tragedy is less than an hour away by helicopter.
“Just days ago, over 200 Nigerians, innocent men, women, children, and even soldiers were massacred in Benue State. Again, no presidential visit. No physical presence at the scenes of pain. No genuine national mourning. No leadership face to comfort the grieving or give hope to the people.
“Yet, we have seen what true leadership looks like elsewhere:
“In India, after a plane crash killed nearly 200 people, the Prime Minister was physically at the scene within hours.
“In South Africa, when floods claimed 78 lives, the president went personally to the affected communities, stood with them, and took responsibility.
“That is leadership with compassion. That is leadership that understands the value of human life. But here in Nigeria, we have normalised leadership without empathy, without accountability, and without a human face.”
The former Anambra State Governor concluded by urging Nigerians to avoid voting along tribal, religious or other sentimental lines because Nigeria does not need just another President, but a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion.
He added that until Nigerians choose leaders on these principles, the cycle of pain will only continue.
“That is why I insist: Nigeria does not just need another president; Nigeria needs a leader, a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion. Until we choose leaders on these principles, the cycle of pain will only continue.
“A New Nigeria is POssible,” Obi concluded.
