Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, on Thursday said the narratives being promoted by sections of the media on the viral video involving some nursing students during the visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was not entirely a true account of what happened at the ceremony.
He said: “Our dear First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was in our dear state for two good days, not on a holiday, but on a working visit and in the course of that, a whole lot was achieved.
“A whole lot was given to our people, and that has been very much appreciated. We want to say a very big thank you to our first lady, and our own daughter, who has also shown us love from that Olympian height.
“She brought in a number of medical kits and a whole number of other items for the purpose of getting our younger ones to indeed rise and shine.
“In the first day, over 10,000 medical kits were distributed to the six states of the South-South using our own state as a point of contact.
“And of course, we saw the number of first ladies from across the states, and the six geopolitical zones, identifying with the very noble efforts of our dear first lady in our country.
“We welcomed her and she was also very happy for the reception that we accorded her in the course of the visit. We are very, very pleased with the things she has come to do in our state.
“A viral video recently surfaced regarding the visit of the President’s wife. Let me state categorically that the First Lady didn’t visit the school of nursing in Agbor.
“She observed that the Nurses present at the event had some expectations regarding the distribution of the medical kits. She apologized to the nurses during the presentation.
“The apology was made because the current phase of donations and support was specifically targeted at midwives, not nurses.
“She assured nurses that they would receive their turn in due time through the Renewed Hope Initiative. However, some nurses, who had expected equal treatment alongside midwives, were understandably disappointed.
“Despite this disappointment, there was no incident of hostility or bullying during the visit. Initially, the nurses were welcoming and happy and danced even as they cheered the first lady in the course of her speech, but a few of them playfully expressed their feelings by singing a different tune in response to the situation.
“This reaction was taken out of context by some individuals on social media, who misrepresented the events to fit their own narratives. The viral video, therefore, does not reflect the atmosphere and what truly transpired at the gathering.
“As a government we express our profound appreciation for the First Lady’s visit and her initiatives. We emphasized that the reaction seen in the video was not characteristic of our nurses, but rather a few individuals wishing for equal treatment with midwives.”
The government reaffirmed its gratitude for the First Lady’s continued support and dismissed the misleading narratives circulating online.
“So we needed to clarify the situation, we once again express our gratitude to the President, his wife, and supportive Nigerians, and emphasize our commitment to good governance in Delta with a view to improving the lives of the people through the MORE Agenda.”
