House Condemns Abuja, Mubi, Kaduna Attacks

….Asks FG To Immortalise Akunyili, Ado Bayero
SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, (THEWILL) - The House of Representatives Thursday condemned the bomb blasts that killed 21 people in Abuja on Wednesday just as it frowned at the one in Mubi, Adamawa State which claimed 165 lives as well as the attack by Fulani herdsmen against some villages in Kaduna State.

The condemnation was sequel to a motion moved by Hon. Chris Azubogu under matters of urgent public importance, which was unanimously adopted.

The motion asked the House to 'stand in mourning for those who lost their lives even as we commiserate with their families in this trying time of bereavement.'

Leading debate on the motion, Azubogu argued that 'consequent on this attack, scores of people going about their daily businesses and trying to earn a living for themselves and their families are now lying in the mortuary, while others struggle for their lives in the hospital.'

He maintained that 'We are now raising a generation of young Nigerians who have to grow up in an environment of extreme fear and hopelessness that comes from knowing that there are those amongst us who will kill and destroy in service of an ill-defined and vague ideology.'

The lawmaker prayed the House to constitute a delegation to pay condolence visits to those who are in the hospitals and to indicate willingness to assist them in whatever way possible.

He also pleaded that the House take steps to review the preparedness of the nation's security services in terms of intelligence gathering and operational capacity to confront the terror that has befallen the country.

Azubogu also demanded that the House should look into the possibility of a terror victims compensation fund to ensure that those who have lost much to the menace of terrorism are at their very least given a helping hand as they try to rebuild their lives and reclaim what they have lost.

Also on Thursday, the House called on the Federal Government to immortalise the former Director General of the National Agency For Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Minister of Information, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, by naming the NAFDAC headquarters after her.

The call was consequent upon a motion on urgent public importance moved by Hon. Uche Lilian Ekwunife (APGA, Anambra), calling members' attention to the need to honour the late Minister for the selfless services she rendered to her fatherland, even until the point of her death

Similarly, Hon. Haruna Musa Fatahi (APC,Kano) moved that the Federal Government should also immortalise the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, who passed away on June 6.

Both motions were unanimously adopted at the plenary presided over by Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

SAINT MUGAGA, ABUJA