Following the recent tragic stampede incidents in Oyo, Abuja, and Anambra States, Abia State Government has taken measures to prevent such occurrences in the state, especially during the festive season.
In a statement titled “Public Safety Alert,” issued to newsmen on Sunday and signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Governor Otti expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.
The governor mandated that organizers of large events liaise with the State Homeland Security or Local Government Authorities for guidance and support to ensure public safety.
The statement highlighted the risks associated with poor crowd control at events and urged organizers to prioritize public safety measures.
Part of the statement reads: “Following the frightening upsurge in cases of stampede being witnessed in different parts of the country, especially this festive period, as a result of challenges with crowd control by organizers and participants in different events/programmes.
“The governor wishes to call on organizers of all kinds of programmes that would require a reasonable crowd, to make sure they put in place all safety measures to avoid a stampede of any type that may lead to loss of lives.”
It also strongly condemned unethical practices like spraying money or gift items into a crowd of people, which are common triggers for chaos and potential tragedies.
“The government also wishes to strongly warn against any unethical practices like spraying or throwing money or gift items into a crowd of people, given its propensity to lead to a stampede,” the statement further stated.
It warned that the State Government would not hesitate to take stringent actions against any individual or group that disregards government directives.
“The government shall come down very hard on any person or group that ignores this safety directive,” the statement said.
