The Socialist Party of Nigeria, (SPN) has opined that the stampede that occurred in Ibadan last Wednesday was a result of widespread hunger and poverty in the country.

The party made this assertion in a statement signed by its Secretary, Ayodeji Adigun, and made available to Saturday Telegraph in Ibadan, Oyo State following the death of 35 children at a funfair party at the Islamic High School, Basorun.

In its reaction, SPN maintained that the struggle for survival caused victims to attend the Christmas charity event and struggle for food. “The victims besieged the venue because they were assured of getting something to cushion the effect of the hardship in the country.

“All of these unfortunate developments are sad consequences of the excruciating condition of poverty and misery in the midst of plenty under which mass of the Nigerian working people are forced to live across the country.

“Going by this background, it is absolutely clear that it is the struggle for survival that better explains why many parents largely of poor and working-class background were desperate to ensure that their children were able to attend the programme.

“This is especially true when there was prior information by the organizers that the targeted attendees were 5,000 children and no child would be allowed to enter and participate in the programme once the target was met.

“As a matter of fact, some parents were so desperate to an extent that they had to travel a day ahead of the programme from different towns outside Ibadan and spent a night at several open places including the entrance of the venue of the event to ensure that their children were among the 5,000 attendees targeted for the event.

“Reports also have it that some adults without child or children were also among the people struggling to attend the funfair strictly organized for children.

“To average working-class parents without means of guaranteeing a daily meal for their children due to the imposition of several anti-people policies by the Nigeria capitalist government at all levels, this kind of free event will definitely be seen as a means of a sort of respite.

“For instance, the prospect of their children winning a scholarship and having access to education which is widely believed to be a way to break away from poverty was an attraction”, the party said.