Oby Ezekwesili Condemns Use of School Children to Welcome President Tinubu Amid Benue Massacre

Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili condemned the use of schoolchildren standing in the rain to welcome President Bola Tinubu during his visit to Benue State. The visit came days after a deadly massacre claimed over 100 lives in the Yelwata community.

A June 17, 2025, memorandum from the Benue State Government declared June 18 a public holiday, exempting health workers, security personnel, and banks. The document outlined the president’s one-day visit and urged residents to come out en masse to welcome him despite the ongoing mourning in the state.

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Benue on  June 18, following the June 13 massacre in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area. Despite the declared public holiday meant to mourn the victims, pupils in Makurdi were seen lining the roads under heavy rain, singing the national anthem as the presidential convoy drove by, splashing water on some of them.

In a post on Twitter, Oby Ezekwesili described the act as “the saddest part,” noting that some of the children may be from bereaved families still mourning their loved ones. 

“Yet they are compelled to stand in the rain and give misleaders that have shown ZERO care for them a ‘rousing welcome,’” she wrote, calling it a reflection of Nigeria’s culture of poor governance and political insensitivity.

Oby Ezekwesili’s statement has sparked renewed criticism of the government’s response to the Benue killings and the treatment of citizens, particularly children, in moments of national grief. 

The video and reports have intensified criticism of the government’s handling of the Benue crisis and deepened conversations about the growing disconnect between Nigeria’s leaders and the people they govern.