By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the retraining of the military to make them more responsible in handling of security issues across the country, especially the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
To this end, the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement yesterday by, charged the military authorities to retrain the officers and men on the contemporary ways of handling security challenges.
Wabba also condemned the recent military invasion of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abia State Council Press Centre in Umuahia.
Against this backdrop, he urged the security agencies to act with caution, without escalating the already charged atmosphere in the country.
Part of the statement read: “While we applaud the federal government for the steps taken so far by security agencies to secure lives and properties of all Nigerians in all parts of the country, it is important that the agencies, including the military should not act in any manners that provoke situations that ultimately strengthen the cause, capacities and popularity of the advocates of disunity and inter-ethnic strife.
“It is unaccepted that journalists carrying out their legitimate functions can be so dastardly attacked as has been reported of the incident in Umuahia during a security operation by the Nigeria Army. It is the duty of journalists to report, including taking pictures, audio and video recording of incidents anywhere in the country as part of their professional calling. The attack on them, especially at the secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Umuahia is not only unacceptable but unnecessarily provocative. Although the Nigerian Army has issued a public statement to apologise to the NUJ and the affected journalists while promising to investigate the incident and ultimately discipline the military personnel involved, we advise that the military high command should re-train its officers and men on contemporary ways of handling security challenges in a country under constitutional governance.”
“We also advice the federal government to handle the on-going agitations, which is fast developing into unimaginable inter-ethnic violence that is spreading to some parts of the country as has been reported of Jos in Plateau state, Port Harcourt in River State, Aba and Umuahia in Abia State with utmost dexterity in the interest of peace, unity and collective interest of the entire country and her citizens.
“Culprits of threats to our national integrity, nationhood and sovereignty must be apprehended and tried in accordance with extant national laws and international conventions without taking any further steps that will create another mayhem; as we have been contending with in the north east,” he added.
The NLC also advises that the governors as chief security officers of their states, must be made to take responsibilities for the growing security challenges that ultimately threaten the collective interests and unity of Nigerians.
