The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed President Bola Tinubu for his “inexplicable failure” to visit the scene of the Christmas Eve massacre of Nigerians by Islamic terrorists in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi communities of Plateau State.
SaharaReporters reported on Tuesday that the Plateau State Command of the Nigerian Police Force says that no fewer than 86 persons were killed with 221 houses completely burnt down during the Christmas Eve attacks by gunmen in Plateau State.
President Tinubu had only condemned the attacks and directed security agencies to fish out and apprehend all the assailants in the attacks in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State on Christmas Eve.
The death toll of the attacks has since reached over 200 with several others injured.
However, PDP in a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said that President Tinubu’s failure to show personal empathy and leadership by visiting the troubled people of Plateau State tends to validate disturbing insinuations in the public space of complicity in high places with regard to the attacks.
It reiterated its earlier call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the attacks which it described as “genocide”, adding that PDP is concerned as Nigerians raise questions as to what was responsible for the failure of intelligence before and during the coordinated massacre which went on for over 48 hours.
PDP insisted that President Tinubu must allay the fears and concerns of Nigerians by immediately visiting the affected communities and personally addressing the nation on concrete steps to track down the perpetrators and their sponsors.
“It smacks of grave insensitivity and dereliction of duty for Mr President as the Commander-in-Chief to remain silent in the face of the targeted massacre of his citizens without defence and assistance.
“The President even failed to play his expected role as “Consoler-in-Chief” by not immediately visiting the troubled areas to demonstrate leadership, empathy, and connection with the citizens,” the party stated.
It added that instead of sending his aides to issue lame statements and detailing surrogates to visit after much prodding, President Tinubu should have as a matter of duty personally visited the scene of the genocide to give succor to the families of the dead and the wounded as well as reassure that his government is with the people of the affected communities in particular and Plateau State in general.
“Of course, the whole world witnessed the video of President Joe Biden kneeling before the daughter of George Floyd to offer his condolences on behalf of the United States for the brutal murder of her father. President Tinubu ought to have drawn a lesson from that.
“The apparent lack of empathy and the tokenism of sending proxies to Plateau State is unacceptable and clear manifestation of insensitivity by a President who remains unconcerned and fiddles in the comfort, luxury, and pleasure of the Presidential villa while his citizens are mercilessly being brutalized and massacred by terrorists. President Tinubu must wake up from his slumber and be alive to his responsibility as President.
“The PDP also reiterates its call for an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Genocide; an international crime perpetuated on the peaceful, defenseless and innocent people of Plateau State on Christmas eve,” the statement partly read.