31st May, 2011
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently summon a national security summit to give stakeholders a forum to proffer solutions to the incessant bombings now ravaging the country, saying the problem should be treated as a national emergency.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in reaction to the latest spate of bombings in Abuja, Bauchi and Zaria that left many dead and injured, the party said such a summit should involve all those who have positive contributions to make to end the epidemic of explosions, irrespective of their political leaning.
ACN said it has become obvious that the government alone cannot stop the explosions, which have left hundreds of innocent Nigerians dead or maimed, and which risks scaring away foreign investors at a time the federal government says it is embarking on a journey to transform the country in all spheres.
“After every bomb attack, the government will vow to get the culprits and punish them. Then more explosions will occur and the government will repeat its vow. This is not reassuring to the people of Nigeria as well as foreigners who may want to do business in the country.
“Therefore, it is now clear that, in spite of its best efforts, the government alone cannot stop the bombers. It is time for all patriots to all put heads together to identify the culprits and their grievances, and seek the way forward,” it said.
The party observed that the way the explosions went off on the outskirts of Abuja as well as in Zaria and Bauchi, shortly after the inauguration of President Jonathan, shows that the only reason the inauguration itself was spared was because of the lock-down of Abuja and the shutdown of telecommunications services as part of stringent security measures put in place during the ceremony.
“But what happens now that the lock down of Abuja has been lifted and telecoms services restored? Is it not worrisome that those behind the explosions have continued to target public institutions and security agencies?
Is it not becoming clear that these terrorists can now strike at a place and time of their own choosing, if they can detonate explosives in such high-security areas as military barracks?” ACN queried.
It also expressed a strong concern that these explosions have recently been concentrated in the part of the country not usually prone to such, despite incessant ethno-religious crises there, and wondered why this is so.
“The first – and the most important – responsibility of any government is to ensure the welfare and security of the citizens. Without this, there can be no development. This is why the worsening security situation, especially the constant bomb explosions, must be stopped,” ACN said.
