In the wake of the renewed loss of lives to terrorist activities in the country, the National Emergency Management Agency has urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of calling the 112 emergency line.
The agency argued that to mitigate disasters in the country, the 112 national emergency line put in place by the Nigerian Communications Commission must be put to use.
Urging Nigerians to always report “anything suspicious” in their environment by dialing the line, NEMA stated that all kinds of emergencies would be handled by relevant security agencies.
“For all kinds of emergencies and disaster mitigation, please dial the 112, emergency number,” NEMA stated in a Twitter post.
The NEMA social media enlightenment campaign came just as the police assured that they have not lost sight of their mission of making Nigeria a safe and secure environment for everyone.
The police, in a message on its official Facebook page, pleaded with Nigerians to support its officers and men with “information” to nip crime in the bud.
Giving security tips on how to help prevent recurrence of loss of lives to bombings, the police said Nigerians need to always pay attention to their surroundings.
“The Nigeria Police Force’s red alert is not intended to induce fear and panic. Nigerians should go about their normal business while paying attention to their surroundings.
“Whenever you see something, say it out. It is important to report suspicious activity to the police station or any other government security agency’s post.
“Report any unusual act. All resources are being deployed to ensure adequate protection of lives and property across the nation,” the police said.
The police, however, chided those it said have taken to social media to demand explanations from security agencies over the recurrent cases of terrorism.
The security agency said the barrage of online enquiries amounted to “distractions,” adding that investigators need to be given more time to focus on their work.
“This is a sensitive investigation. We want to solve this crime within a limited time. Nigerians, please support us with information.
“Please, we don’t want distractions. We don’t want to give out piecemeal information. We’ll brief citizens on our findings as soon as it’s ripe to do so,” the police added.
Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, Ohaha Foundation, has said Nigerians should not hesitate to turn in their voluntary donations to victims of the Abuja bomb blast.
Decrying the unabated killing of innocent Nigerians, the Abuja-based foundation wrote on its Twitter page that making voluntary donations to the victims would go a long way in giving them some respite.
It said Nigerians should not just sit in the comfort of their rooms and lament the situation but move towards contributing to the recuperation of the victims.
The foundation wrote, “It’s increasingly becoming very clear that we can’t fix today’s challenges with yesterday’s solution. We need to constantly innovate solutions!
“But there is so much we can do with that N1,000 or more to help victims of the Abuja bomb blast. Talk is cheap, it’s time to act. Support these people affected in the Abuja bomb blast. Please, make your donations to them.”
Meanwhile, a former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has faulted the timing of President Goodluck Jonathan’s security meeting with service chiefs. She said the President should have convened the meeting immediately after the Nyanya carnage, rather than attending the Kano political rally.
She challenged the Federal Government to conduct a public poll on citizens’ opinion of the “President’s Kano partying” to determine its appropriateness and timing.
Writing on her Twitter page, Ezekwesili said, “If, the day after Nyanya tragedy, our President convened a security meeting and conveyed a strong message to the terrorists, that would have been brilliant!
“Today’s (Thursday’s) security meeting rightly convened by our President is the activity of government that should have happened the day he (Jonathan) partied in Kano! A self aggrandising partisan political party event by our President is not an activity of government. It is quite pitiful.
“I can almost predict that it will come to pass one day that the President will realise these praise-singing folks are the ones who do not wish him well.”
Source: Punch Nigeria
Posted from WordPress for Android
