Declare State of Emergency on Security Now!-NLC Urges FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress ,NLC has urged the federal government to go beyond declaring state of emergency on some states in the light of increasing bomb blasts. “What we need is not just a declaration of state of emergency in some states where the security challenges have been much fiercer; we need an urgent declaration of state of emergency on security” NLC President Abdulwahed Omar said in a statement.
“We are disturbed by the continued wave of bomb attacks across the northern parts of the country, mainly on soft targets such as crowded markets and recreational centres as well as growing attacks on schools and villages which have led to the untimely death of several thousands of people, mostly young people who are still in their productive age” he said .
“The recent Jos bomb attack, which occurred at the biggest market in the city, patronized mainly by workers, students as well as farmers who bring their products for sale at the market is particularly more devastating as over 150 people, among them seven students of the University of Jos who were in their final year in the University, were killed.
He added that “The last attack in Kano was also as provocative, targeted at social centres where workers and poor residents live and also relax. Several lives and properties were massively destroyed in that incident.
“In all these attacks, several thousands of workers, especially teachers, health workers, and other civil servants and informal sector workers have lost their lives and properties.
“We are worried that these attacks could be carried out with such ease despite several billions of naira reported to have been spent on security, especially on the military, in the first quarter of the year 2014.
“We wonder why there is evident low morale and dearth of operational equipment in confronting the ongoing terror attacks across the northern parts of the country if the sum of N130billion was spent within three months, on the military.
NLC also repeated its call for allocations to security to be investigated by the national assembly.”We reiterate our call on the National Assembly to investigate the expenditure of budgetary allocations on security as the situation with our security agencies, including the military has not shown justification for such huge amount of money reportedly spent on security in the first quarter of the year.
“We sympathise with our officers and men in the security services. Despite the obvious dearth of appropriate modern equipment, they are still able to confront the prevailing security challenges in circumstances where the attackers operate with superior and sophisticated equipment. Thus, not a few of them have lost their lives in the process.
NLC said “While we extend our condolences to the families of all those who have lost their lives in these attacks, including the military and other security personnel, we urge government to declare an emergency on the state of our security for the purpose of fast-tracking the appropriate funding training, kitting and equipping our personnel. It is also important that the entire security sector be audited in the hope of detecting those who are shortchanging the security agencies and may have been collaborating with the enemies of our people to unleash mayhem on our country.