PDP condemns Buhari’s inability to visit victims of Taraba Killings

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s inability to visit families and communities that lost their loved ones during the killings to Taraba State during his visit to the state on Monday.

The party further expressed displeasure on Buhari for comparing the number of deaths among all the affected states, saying that the death of one Nigerian is precious not to talk of comparing the number if victims in one state with that of another.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP expressed disbelief at the President’s dismissal of public criticism over his delay in visiting the troubled areas as expecting him “to always go out to the field to make noise”.

The party said Nigerians were also distressed by President Buhari’s morbid comparison of more people being killed in one state than the other, as if one life is not as important as hundred others, adding that such a disposition has further exposed the value the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled administration attaches to the lives of Nigerians.

“Nigerians wondered why President Buhari did not put figures to the tally since what appears to be of interest is the morbid comparison of how many Nigerians were killed from state to state”.

The party maintained that Buhari’s failure to visit the victims to directly reassure them is an eloquent exhibition of thoughtless disdain towards the feelings and wellbeing of the masses.

“When well-meaning Nigerians said the visits were cosmetic and a political gambit, some apologists of the APC dismissed it as a mere political statement. Now, the action and comments by the President during his whistle stop visit to Taraba state have bared it all.

“Not only that our dear President holed himself in the comfort of the Taraba State Government House for a brief meeting with few government officials, he did not visit the victims to directly commiserate and allay their fears with assurances of steps to ensure justice and end the carnage, as his allusions almost re-opened old wounds.

“Is it not surprising that the same president who, last Saturday, had all the time at a wedding ceremony in Kano state did not even spare a minute to visit victims of a carnage where a soothing word from him would have been the balm for justice and peace?”

They faulted the President’s claims of having performed in providing security in the country, even in the face of the daily bloodletting in the land.

“Perhaps, he was not aware, as usual, that while he was in Taraba, marauders were having a field day slaughtering women and children in neighboring Benue state, “It is clear to all that this Presidential roadshow serves no purpose to the people, but merely designed as a gambit to score cheap political point and falsely portray the administration as caring, particularly seeing that the 2019 election is around the corner.”