Tragedy of Palliative Distribution in a Nigerian Varsity
By Leah Nickaf
I have never been impressed with what palliative connotes. Yes, I have never, and this is owing to the fact that palliative disbursement in this part of the world means something different entirely – from what obtains in other civilized climes.
Should the process of handing over palliative items claim the lives of citizens? In Nigeria, it is. Last month, while the Nigerian Customs Service was distributing seized, but subsidized food items to Lagos residents seven people lost their lives in a stampede. Just a few days ago, specifically on March 22, 2024, a similar tragedy struck.
But this time around, it was at Nasarawa State University, Keffi. Governor Abdullahi Sule on that eventful day started sharing palliative foodstuff to the university’s students. But he could not end the program amid aplomb and in serenity.
A stampede which occurred during the occasion reportedly killed two students. Others who sustained injuries are still recuperating in the hospital.
For the avoidance of doubt, the task of distributing palliatives, a strategy frequently used to offer vital help during emergencies, requires the highest level of caution and honesty. However, the harsh truth is that it was poorly organized in the case of our dear Nasarawa university.
Suffice to say that students of the Nasarawa institution were traumatized by the horrific events that transpired, families were thrown into mourning, and lives were needlessly lost.
In addition, the university’s prestige has been severely damaged, undermining its position as a centre for scholarship and enlightenment.
Accountability, openness, and a basic concern for the security and welfare of students were all lacking during the distribution process, according to reports.
Providing palliative care to our people should not involve forcing Nigerians to congregate in huge numbers, since this could result in stampedes, suffocation and deaths.
An article on palliative, written by one Franklin Agbai, noted that: “One of the most common criticisms to the government approach is that these palliatives, though inconsequential in value, lack sustainability and longevity. Instead of empowering individuals to break free from the cycle of poverty, they inadvertently aggravated the problems bedevilling the nation.
“This, also, strips the citizens of the ability to strive to reverse their woes, and reinforces a narrative that they are incapable of improving their own circumstances, eroding their self-esteem and drive to achieve meaningful progress.
“Is it not an irony for people to hear the government say that by removing the fuel subsidy on PMS and allowing the market forces to determine the price that the price of the product would fall when the product continued to be imported?
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“How would the common man believe that he would someday buy PMS cheap to run his small business knowing that the same story was told to take kerosine and diesel off the subsidy list? Their prices rose and have never come down.
“Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the ill-conceived palliative programmes is the inherent message they convey to the recipients, which tend to say that the well-being of the people is not a priority and their dignity is of little or no concern.
“By providing insufficient aid or implementing programmes that are clearly inadequate, governments inadvertently communicate that the lives and aspirations of the poor are of less value. This is a grave disservice to the principles of equality, human rights, and social contract.
“In this contract, the government ought to be outright to think about the good and well-being of the people in their policies. Therefore, would it not have made better sense if the government had rolled out clear-cut plans to revitalise the moribund refineries and declare a state of emergence in the power sector with the palliative funds, rather than the mockery of the paltry cash gifts and the less-than-the-prison-measure of plates of rice for households?
“Would not making committed interventions in this sector not give the economy the right push for the leap all dream about? I strongly think that the misguided palliatives would do more than just harm the dignity of the supposed recipients.
“They are likely to perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty. By failing to address systemic issues such as education, food security, employment opportunities, and healthcare access, governments inadvertently contribute to the continuation of generational poverty.
“Without proper investment in long-term solutions, every effort will end up creating a cycle that benefits no one in the long run. While the intention behind government palliatives is often rooted in goodwill, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
“Ill-conceived and inadequately implemented palliatives, thus, can easily become an insult to the poor citizens they are meant to help, perpetuating cycles of dependency and undermining individual dignity. It is high time for governments to shift their focus from short-term relief to long-term empowerment, ensuring that every citizen is treated with the respect and fairness they deserve.
“Also, the Federal Government should work at giving the vital aspects of the economy an urgent and deserving attention. Doing so would relieve the poor to really breathe again”.
I pray the federal government and other state governments, with penchants for disbursing palliatives, will have a rethink moving forward. If nothing, at least to prevent another tragedy that will claim the lives of our dear citizens and students.
Leah Nickaf is a 400-Level student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi and wrote in via: [email protected]
