Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has admonished Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), charitable organizations, and individuals who wish to distribute palliative aid to the people to involve the government to prevent a chaotic situation that could lead to the loss of lives.

Governor Abiodun, who spoke when he visited Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, in his office in Ibadan regarding the stampede that occurred in the city last week, said such an incident would not have happened if the state government had been involved.

“I am here on behalf of myself, the government, and the good people of Ogun State and the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) to commiserate with the governor of Oyo State and the people on the unfortunate incident that happened on Wednesday, December 18th, where a good initiative turned sour.

“It is most unfortunate that, in response to the current realities, an NGO decided to share the joy of the season with the children, which led to the loss of 35 lives.

“I think that we’ve seen this trend in Anambra and Abuja during this yuletide period.

“I believe that what we must also take away from this unfortunate incident is that when private sector players, non-governmental organizations, and charities want to embark on such initiatives, they should try to work with the government. Because as a responsible government, we carry out such initiatives, and it doesn’t end like this because we have people who are charged with such responsibilities.

“They planned it to ensure that it is well implemented. So, one must admonish others who have such initiatives that a lot of lessons must be learned from what has happened, and we must ensure that we avoid such mishaps in the future,” Prince Abiodun said.

He stated that the Southern Governors’ Forum is pained by the loss, and as the Chairman of the Forum, his visit is to condole with Oyo State, saying that as a neighbor, anything that affects them affects Ogun State.

While praying for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and for the families to bear the loss, the governor wished the people of Oyo State a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

In response, Governor Makinde appreciated his Ogun State counterpart for the visit, saying that it provides an opportunity for the cross-fertilization of ideas that would benefit the two sister states.

He mentioned that the two states would meet next year to have a Peer Review to see what they could learn from each other and leverage it.