Jonathan visits bomb blast site, hospital, commiserates with victims
President Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday visited the site of Wednesday bomb blast at EMAB Plaza, Wuse II Abuja, that claimed 22 lives‎.
The President who cut short his trip to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for ‎the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union's Summit of Heads of State and Government, described the current security challenges as the darkest phase in the history of the country.
“It is quite regrettable and extremely painful that when some Nigerians are struggling, thinking about how to contribute to nation development, they are working very hard to take care of their families, train their children, others are busy planning to kill people, intimidate people, destroy peoples property.
“It is regrettable, it is one of the darkest phases in the history of our nation but surely we will get over it. Some other countries have passed through such cloud before and they were able to overcome it and they were able to sail through. We share the pains of the people who have been directly affected, the pains of their families but we will surely pass through this ugly phase of our history. “The perpetrators of this, those who are directly involved and those who sponsor them will surely be brought to book.
“I will use this opportunity to continue to plead with our citizens that under such situation, security operatives will come up with different options that sometimes will create some inconveniece for us, instead of condemning them, let us bear. We all bear some pains, from the highest to the least because as a President, I may not go to everywhere I would have loved to go, these are some of the challenges I have to face. Even for our citizens, under such condition, we have reached some level of restrictions and some pains, instead of shouting and insulting security operatives, let’s give them maximum cooperation, give them relevant information. All countries that face terror suffer the same thing, citizens give maximum cooperation to the security operatives and help to contain and control, surely we will get over this.
“We are all mouring. I remember that very day we had a football match to play and all Nigerians were celebrating the Eagles hoping they were going to win then, this act came up, I was airborne then, it was when I got down in Malabo that I got the information, surely we will get through this,” he said. Jonathan who was briefed by AIG Suleiman Abba at the scene of the incident, was accompanied by Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu and other top government officials.
The President also visited Maitama District Hospital where he was brief by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Mrs. Adetoun Adetimehin, condemned the blast saying that it was regrettable and extremely painfully ‎that while other Nigerians where engaged in legitimate business to feed their families, others were engaged in planning evil to destroy the country.