Former minister of education Oby Ezekwesili has criticised the Benue State Government after schoolchildren were made to stand in the rain to welcome President Bola Tinubu during his visit to the state.
President Tinubu was in Benue on Wednesday for a condolence visit to the victims of the recent massacre in Guma Local Government Area.
The visit, which is his first to the state since assuming office in May 2023, came amid outrage over the killings of over 200 people by armed herders in communities including Mbakyor, Mbasombo and Mbagwen.
Photos and videos circulating online showed pupils in uniform lining the streets of Makurdi in the rain as they awaited the president’s convoy.
Reacting on X, Ezekwesili described the act as insensitive and shameful, noting that some of the children could have been directly affected by the crisis.
“These children, some may be from among the hundreds of families mourning their loved ones in Benue and are compelled to stand in the rain and give misleaders that have shown ZERO care for them a ‘rousing welcome’,” she wrote.
The former presidential candidate also accused the federal and Benue state governments of consistently failing to protect the people.
“There has been a continuous state of genocide in Benue and no amount of sympathy words by @officialABAT or any government official today would be of effect to a people who feel completely abandoned by the Nigerian State,” she added.
Ezekwesili recalled her 2018 solo protest at the Presidential Villa over similar killings in the state, saying it was shameful that the same pattern of violence had continued under different administrations.
“Both @MBuhari and @officialABAT were and are massively indifferent to what is happening to people in Benue and elsewhere. Same with the state governments. It is such a shame to use citizens as conquered souls,” she wrote.
Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia had earlier declared a public holiday in honour of Tinubu’s visit. He said the president’s presence would bring comfort to families affected by the attacks.
Meanwhile, human rights groups and community leaders have called for justice and urgent security intervention to prevent further bloodshed in the region.
