The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Venatius Ikem, has on Wednesday condemned the attitude of the Cross River Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade over his insensitive attitude on the Calabar Carnival death.
This condemnation follows the tragic event that occurred on Tuesday at the scene of the Calabar festival reported by NAN, when the driver of a Camry car lost control, breached the barricade, and rammed into the crowd of spectators, killing eight spectators and injured no fewer than 29 persons.
The incident which brought an abrupt end to the festival as the bereaved had to mourn their dead and the injured also, had to be taken care of, was short-lived when the Governor of the state, to the amazement of everyone, continued with the flag off of the event the next day.
Ayade who had initially empathised with victims of the tragic incident, at the Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar by describing the crash as “a sad learning curve that would never be allowed to happen again; noted the need to continue with the festival
“We are here at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Calabar to show the government’s concern for victims of the bikers’ parade car accident. We are here to take the bills and show compassion. What happened was a learning curve, it speaks to the fact that all road barricades for the carnival must be respected.” He stressed.
At the festival which was described as Africa’s flagship tourism event and tagged, “Agro-industrialisation,” Governor Ayade said, it is his last as governor and equally significant because of the presence of Buhari’s daughter, Zara and his friend, former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sherrif, among others at the event; according to him, it showed that Nigeria is united.
“Today is the day we are flagging off the Carnival Calabar, the main carnival proper. This carnival is Africa’s flagship tourism event. I like to welcome everybody who has come here for this ceremony. It is significant because this is my last outing; significant because the President has said he identifies with Cross River State.
“The theme of this year’s carnival is agro-industrialisation and what I am saying is, why take a tuber of cassava and process it into garri to make N1,000 only when someone else takes the same tuber of cassava and processes it into pharmaceutical starch and makes $10,000?
“We will be looking at the storyline through the dance and procession on the interpretation of the theme Agro-industrialisation, and that is the concept,” he continued.
However, the PDP chairman for Rivers state, Venatius Ikem, in a statement defined Ayade’s singular actions as being “tantamount to rubbing salt on injuries,” adding that the governor’s action was insensitive to the mood and plight of the people.
He stated, “Indeed, we have been vindicated in our rating of Ayade’s government as inhuman, uncouth, and unperturbed by the sufferings of the masses.
“It is unthinkable that a leader can proceed to a jamboree where he was seen beaming with smiles and cheering Miss Africa Beauty Pageant contestants after the bloody incident which claimed lives just a couple of hours apart.”
According to NAN, Ikem said the disaster could have been avoided if standard best practices were applicable during the event, especially regarding the crowd and vehicular traffic control as well as the physiological state of the participants.
Following the accident, according to The Punch Newspapers, the Commissioner of Police, Sule Balarabe, detailed policemen to the scene of the incident and every 50 meters along the 12-kilometer carnival route to avert further tragedy.
Policemen were seen at Mary Slessor Avenue, Marian road, MCC, and Murtala Muhammad Highway
Reports have it that The Calabar carnival’s which was put on a hold for two years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic returned fatal with 8 dead and 29 injured victims comprising 21 male adults, three women, two male children, and three female children, one of whom died while receiving treatment in the hospital.
Moreover, the governor had promised to bring also the injured driver to book after receiving treatment.
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