Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has faulted the distribution of palliatives by state governments, stressing that it is an abuse of the rights of Nigerians.
Falana disclosed this while speaking at the Citizens Accountability and Rights Forum, an event organised by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, in the Ikeja area of Lagos State on Thursday.
He stressed that the idea of gathering people in their thousands to share palliatives cannot address the current economic reality as it is only a temporary measure to a long-term problem and a diversionary method from the reality of the economic situation.
He stressed that the idea of gathering people in their thousands to share palliatives cannot address the current economic reality as it is only a temporary measure to a long-term problem and a diversionary method from the reality of the economic situation.
He said, “Distribution of food items is not the best approach because the majority of the people will not get it; it is a diversionary method. In Lagos, when Customs were selling 25kg of rice for N10,000, seven people were killed in a stampede.
“Two weeks ago in Nasarawa, two students were killed in a stampede. In Bauchi State, seven people were killed during an alms-giving event.
“We are therefore taking advantage of this forum to appeal to governments in Nigeria to stop gathering our people and humiliating our people by throwing rice at them. By throwing food items at the people, we are dehumanising them and treating them like an animal.”
