SENATOR, GROUPS TASK FG ON UN BUILDING ATTACK
More condemnations have continued to trail last Friday's bombing of the United Nation's (UN) House in Abuja even as a group said the President should not be blamed for the spate of attacks. The death toll in the UN office bombing rose to 23 on Monday.
However, the UN's security chief offered hope that the body's Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras may assist the Federal Government in the investigations
A member of the National Assembly, Senator Boluwaji Kunlere, yesterday said the bombings would continue if the Federal Government failed to accord necessary priority to intelligence report Kunlere who is representing Ondo South while lamenting the inability of security operatives to rise up to the occasion, said bombing would not end unless President Goodluck Jonathan tackles the issue headlong.
The Labour Party lawmaker, who accused some prominent Nigerians of sponsoring the Boko Haram sect, said their action was targeted at making Nigeria ungovernable for President Jonathan.
The Igbotako-born politician said instead of concentrating on how to govern the nation well, Mr. President was taking side in the crisis in the judiciary that does not concern him.
He explained that Nigerians were tired of the promises being made by the President that the perpetrators of various bombings would be brought to book
'Instead of focusing on things that will bring development to the country, the President allowed himself to be dragged into the crisis in the judiciary. I am not a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, but the action of Mr. President in the matter was totally wrong.
'Some people are out there to ensure that they make the country unsafe. These are the kind of people the President should concentrate on. He should stop paying lip-service to the incessant bombings,' he said.
Kunlere noted that the military has also failed to address the issue because of godfatherism that had eaten deep into the system where appointments were no longer based on merit and excellence.
He stated that a situation where some of the brains in the military were not allowed to head the different formations, would always spell doom for the nation.
His words, 'The bombing of the United Nation's building in Abuja has further shown that nowhere is safe in this country. If that building can be bombed, nowhere, including the Aso Rock, is safe any longer.'
The National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) also condemned the incessant attacks in the country.
In a communiqué issued at the end of zone D meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State and signed by the state chairman, Togna'an Bawa, NAWOJ called on the Federal Government to bring the culprits to book.
The statement also urged members of the public to expose the perpetrators of this ungodly acts to the law enforcement agents to ensure that they are brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the UN's security chief has said that closed-circuit cameras may assist in the probe of last week's suicide attack .
'We did have CCTV cameras up,' Gregory Starr reveled. 'We are trying to recover the images from there. That is really a Nigerian government and FBI responsibility. We hope we will get some images from them.'
FBI agents from the United States have been asked by Nigeria to assist in the investigation of the attack. Video images may help answer some of the many questions surrounding the attack, which saw the bomber make his way past two gates before crashing his car into the entrance of the building.
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police say they are considering all possibilities. A number of arrests have been made, according to police, who have declined to provide details.
Starr called the UN building 'well-protected' and 'robustly built,' but said stronger security will be needed in the future. He said Nigeria was not the type of country where such an attack was expected.
'We think that the security measures that we took in spite of the attack saved tremendous lives. We mourn every person that we lost and we mourn all the families of those that are injured. Overall on the security situation, we need to take greater measures in the future,' he noted.
Also, the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) through its president, Mrs Nkechi Okemini-Mba, in a press statement in Owerri, decried the UN House bombing, which she said was capable of brining misery to women and vulnerable children as well as the entire nation.
Mrs Okemini- Mba called on the perpetrators to sheathe their sword and understand that such acts of violence were against the symbol of global peace and development
Meanwhile, a Niger Delta group, Network of Freedom Fighters (NFF) said the recent bombing of the UN building has vindicated the Okah brothers.
The group in statement signed by Nengi James, called on the Federal Government to order the immediate release of the Okah brothers from prison custody and ensure that those behind the recent bombings were brought to book.
According to him, it was worrisome that in spite of the arrest of some Boko Haram members in connection with some killings in parts of Northern Nigeria, none of them have been prosecuted. It said that the Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, take concrete steps to resolve issues bordering on the continued survival of Nigeria as a national entity.
However, the National Coalition for Jonathan Presidency (NACOJP), has said it was unfair to blame the President for last Friday's attack on the UN building.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr. Chimamkpam Anyamkpa, NACOJP said the position taken by the administration had been willfully misrepresented and misinterpreted.
The group urged Nigerians to shun all acts targeted at derailing what it called, 'the good work of transformation and generational shift in governance' embarked upon by Jonathan, noting that the effort had already started to bear fruits, less than 100 days into the four-year tenure.'
The statement noted, 'NACOJP is pained most profoundly that discussions of the event, rather than seek to get to the root causes and propose ways out of current national cum global challenges as a means of rallying around a visionary leader with the best intentions for his country and her citizens, some disgruntled traduces of Jonathan are busy pointing accusing fingers in the wrong direction and adopting selective perception and reception of facts.'