The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the May 1 Nyanya bomb blast as a slap on Nigeria’s face.
According to the Acting General Secretary of NLC, Comrade Chris Uyot, in a statement entitled: “We shall overcome” on Sunday, NLC said despite the previous bomb explosion in the same place, Nigeria’s security agencies only responded by barricading the access road to worsen gridlock for commuters.
He said: “The only response was the blockage of the access road to the city centre by our security forces, making life extremely difficult for workers and other commuters. We therefore consider it a slap on the face of our country that this is happening again.
“With this second blast, our security forces ought to have some clue about the source(s) of this bombs.
“In this war, platitudes, wild allegations and hunches alone are not enough”.
According to Uyot, NLC is deeply saddened by another bomb blast at Nyanya, Abuja, which has left about 19 persons dead and several others injured.
He said as was the case in the first bomb blast at Nyanya, the majority of the victims in the recent incident were workers on a day they were celebrating the May (Workers) Day.
The labour leader wondered at the success of the insurgents within a space of two weeks.
According to him, the security agencies have not done enough to prevent another attack, in spite of claims by the police after the first blast that they were on top of the situation.
The statement added: “We hold the view that our security forces have to be inventive, proactive and more focused. As at this moment, they need more brain than brawn. We also believe that security has to be built around people by making them feel and believe that this is all about them.
“The notion that security is unnecessarily secretive or cultish is anachronistic and way out of tune with modern realities especially in a war of this nature.
“With the notice served on the government by Boko Haram that they are in Abuja to stay, no one should deceive themselves that the attacks will end with prayers or with the wave of the hand. Thus, we urge our personnel to involve the local people, set up network centres as well as rapid response camps, especially in crowded and vulnerable areas.
“The attacks in the suburbs, we dare say, may be a prelude to more sinister strikes. Accordingly, we invite our security personnel to be up and doing in securing public places, especially. We have noticed with dismay most car parks are unprotected and are littered with unserviceable vehicles. Those who run it are more concerned with revenue than the lives of Nigerians.
“Like other privileged Nigerians, we demand protection for our members at home, at work and on the road. They too are bonafide citizens. The present attacks on them are direct attacks on productivity and the development of our economy.
“Once again we wish to express our grief, dismay and anger. We commensurate with families, who lost persons in this murderous act, and urge the Nigerian people not to despair in spite of the vileness of these attacks. We shall overcome”, Uyot declared.
D issue now in Abj n Nija as a whole is dat everybody such b security of his or herself.dat i tink s b best one can do 4 his or herself cos i dont tink our security agencies ar functioning.dey ar all sabotaurs bt I dont tink i can betray myself.WATCH UR BACK FELLOW NIGERIAN!