•Tinubu
Criticism has trailed President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State, where he was meant to condole victims of the latest attack in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area.
It was earlier reported how gunmen struck in the area on Sunday, killing 28 persons and leaving many injured.
On Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, Presidential spokesman, had announced that the President would head for Jos “to commiserate with the government and people of the state over the recent gun attacks, which claimed the lives of innocent citizens”.
The President left Abuja after hosting his Chadian counterpart, but the aftermath of that trip has generated backlash, reports Daily Trust.
Addressing the victims, who were conveyed to meet him at the airport, the President said, “You have no light at the airport, and I have to fly back within the next 10 minutes. To the victims, there’s nothing I can give you, whether it’s money in millions, but console you and promise you that this experience will not repeat itself.”
The hall was filled with political supporters, traditional rulers, security personnel, among others.
Probably feeling, it was a good outing, the president took to X, formerly Twitter to give an update.
“This afternoon, I spent time with stakeholders and victims of the recent terror incident in Jos, Plateau State. No amount of money can bring back the dead, but the federal government will do our best to comfort them, walk with them and provide necessary assistance. Rhoda Favour, I feel your pain but no matter what we say, we cannot bring Ayuba back. We will find the perpetrators of this dastardly acts,” he wrote while posting some pictures of the trip.
But no sooner than he made that post did social media literally got on fire over the trip.
Among those who first fired the first set of salvos was opposition leader, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who reacted through his aide, Phrank Shaibu.
According to him, the development reduced a human tragedy to a “choreographed spectacle”, prioritising optics over empathy and dignity.
“A leader who cannot stand with his people in their darkest hour cannot convincingly claim to be fighting for their safety. They do not need to see the President’s face; they need to feel the impact of his leadership,” he said in a statement posted on social media.
“It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings of innocent citizens, the President’s so-called ‘on-the-spot assessment’ was reduced to a brief stop at the foot of his aircraft, never extending beyond the airport, never reaching the grieving communities, and never touching the pain of the victims.
“While families continue to mourn those slaughtered on Palm Sunday, the President chose to convert what ought to have been a solemn visit into a political spectacle, meeting party loyalists in Jos under the thin guise of official engagement. This is not leadership; it is indifference dressed as protocol.”
A digital content creator, Ugo Egbujo, wrote, “Tinubu stopped at Jos airport. That was the condolence visit to Jos. Terribly so unfeeling; For starters, the Jos airport is not in Jos. Hypang where the airport is located is more than 30 minutes of highway drive to Jos. So how could Tinubu stop at the airport? This is the most insensitive visit by any Nigerian president
“After the Yelewata massacre, Tinubu visited Benue and stopped in Makurdi
He didn’t go to Yelewata to see the carnage and the victims. He gathered politicians and traditional rulers in a decorated hall in Makurdi for fake speeches and photo ops. Now after Jos massacre, Tinubu has come to Jos and stopped in Hypang. The flight from Abuja to Jos is less than 15 minutes.
“So, if Tinubu had no time for the victims, why did he bother? How could he say the airport had no light? Why didn’t Tinubu go in the morning? If Tinubu isn’t ready to visit the victims of massacres and terrorism, how can he appreciate the situation? The victims of Jos massacre were transported to Hypang to meet Tinubu, for pictures? This country is in a mess.”
In his reaction, ARISE News journalist, Rufai Oseni, said, “So President Tinubu didn’t even get to Jos town. He ended the visit at the airport! Na wa ooo!”
Tweeting via Shaibu_AO, a social media user wrote, “President Tinubu went to Jos to commiserate with the victims but did everything at the airport and left the state. This is very bad. He shouldn’t have attended.”
BLESSED, a user who tweeted via @Dee_9889, posted, “So you couldn’t even visit Jos North, the scene of the killings? Instead, you held a press conference or made statements from the airport? Ah God, what have we gotten ourselves into? ”
Esther Umoh wrote, “A grieving mother was transported barely 24 hours after burying her child, to come meet with you. That’s the height of inhumanity.”
Oke Umurhohwo wrote, “You are a proper coward and unfit to be the president of Nigeria. How can you be this insensitive and lacking emotional intelligence? You flew into the state, refused to leave the airport and had victims and the bereaved brought to you instead. Even Pharoah wasn’t this wicked.”
Jeff wrote, “This is the country you’re a president in……….Zero empathy, you visited victims for condolence at airport after days that it occurred??? What a person, politicians with no compassion and feelings for fellow humans. What is the worth of human live in this country?”
Some persons tried to express support for the president, but the dissenting voices were louder.
Among those who commended Tinubu was a social media user simply identified as AMBO.
Tweeting via @SAMBO30000, he wrote, “President Tinubu’s visit to Jos shows compassion in action, sitting with the grieving, acknowledging pain that no policy can erase. His words to Rhoda Favour carry weight: raw, human, and real.”
Oluwasegun Temitayo Dada wrote, “This is how you know a leader that really care, he didn’t go to play politics but to be compassionate and be realistic.”
