I once nearly lost my life in a stampede at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, during a Super Eagles match. Limited exit doors caused a chaotic rush as an impatient crowd tried to exit. I was swept along helplessly, losing a shoe and spraining my ankle in the chaos. Thankfully, I survived, but others weren’t so lucky. This experience taught me to avoid surging crowds and instilled a lasting fear of poorly managed gatherings. Years later, during an Easter Mass at the Vatican, I saw how effective crowd control could ensure orderliness, regardless of the crowd size.
In Nigeria, however, rushing is common in every facet of life. At bus stops, markets, banks, weddings, and even churches, people push and shove, showing a disregard for order and fairness. Queues are seen as signs of weakness, and shunting is almost celebrated. This culture speaks to deeper societal issues, including impatience, distrust of equity, and a lack of respect for due process.
Recent tragic stampedes, which turned Christmas joy into grief for many, underline these problems. The deaths were not just about poverty but also about greed and poor crowd management. While hunger and poverty are real challenges in Nigeria, they are not the sole reasons for such tragedies. Greed cuts across all social classes, as seen during the COVID-19 palliatives saga, where even politicians hoarded relief meant for the poor. Similarly, many affluent Nigerians exploit charity initiatives meant for the less privileged, taking more than they need simply out of avarice.
The real issue lies in our collective disregard for order and an insatiable desire for more, even at the expense of others. This mentality, coupled with poor crowd management, fuels chaos. Noble intentions, like distributing aid to the needy, often fail due to these weaknesses.
While hunger is a pressing issue, blaming it alone for stampedes misses the point. Governments and society must address poverty, but we must also confront our lack of discipline and respect for due process. Until we learn from these incidents, the risk of repeating such tragedies remains high.
As the Bible says, “The poor you will always have with you.” The challenge is not to eliminate poverty completely but to ensure fairness, manage resources effectively, and instill a sense of order in society.