TODAY IN HISTORY: Black Saturday as Many Women, Children Die at Giveaway Stampede – ECOWAS Founded
Black Saturday as Many Women, Children Die at Giveaway Stampede
On Saturday, May 28, 2022, a tragedy occurred in Rivers State at the Port Harcourt Polo Club as a stampede claimed the lives of at least 31 persons during an event hosted by Kings Assembly International Church. The victims were mainly women and children who had joyfully gone to receive giveaways during the church’s Free Shopping Program, designed to assist the less privileged in the society.
Eyewitnesses reported a chaotic scene, with thousands gathering as early as 2:00 AM in an attempt to access the event venue. Desperate to get the free gifts, the crowd surged forward, resulting in a deadly stampede.
Among the victims were a nursing mother and her four-month-old baby. Witnesses pointed out the lack of crowd control measures which worsened the situation. The organizers, including senior church officials and the church’s legal adviser, were arrested by the police over the incident. Additionally, a mobile policeman was disarmed for engaging in unauthorized duties at the venue.
The death toll included a pregnant woman and three children while many other victims sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital for medical attention. It was a sad day that many Nigerians may not forget in a hurry.
ECOWAS Founded
Also, on this day in 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established through the Treaty of Lagos. This regional organization, comprising 15 member countries, was founded to promote economic integration across various sectors.
ECOWAS’s member countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo.
As a cornerstone of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS aims to enhance collective self-sufficiency among its members. Through economic cooperation, it seeks to establish a unified trading bloc to bolster regional prosperity.
The organization’s scope of integrated economic activities encompasses industry, transportation, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial matters, as well as social and cultural affairs.
Since the ratification of its foundational treaty, ECOWAS made some strides under different leaderships with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria as its incumbent Chairman. Nigerians and other citizens of its member states still look up to ECOWAS to do more for their mutual benefit to meet their high expectations just as the European Union (EU) does in Europe.
