Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) has condemned the fatal bomb attack on the Nigerian headquarters of the United Nations in the diplomatic zone of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
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Speaking yesterday in a statement made available to journalists in Lagos, director general of the group, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr., said the attack is a sad reminder of the ugly trend which dissent in the country has taken in the aftermath of last April general elections.
He commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in the attack which he said threatens Nigeria’s sovereignty and unity.
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According to him, the recent attack, which is the fourth in a series of unresolved fatal bomb attacks in the FCT, also appears to lend credence to a 2005 opinion of the United States National Intelligence Council (NIC), which had predicted the disintegration of the Nigerian federation in 15 years.
He noted that such attacks had become possible because of the free flow of small arms and light weapons in the country and its neighbours, while also calling for increased action towards checking free movement of such arms and ammunition within the country.
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Noting that the attack is also an affront on the country’s security system, the NESG director general reminded that efforts by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to attract foreign investment and transform the economy will come to nothing, if such attacks do not cease as no foreign investor will invest in an unsecured environment
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“We must see the implications of what had happened and has happened again. We are talking of transforming the economy. We are talking of changing our perception in the international community. We are talking of bringing in more investors. While it is a nice thing to do, we also have to see the link between security and investment. Even local investors will not go to places that are not secure.
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“What we are witnessing is a gradual but determined effort to rubbish whatever effort the country is making at transformation and providing critical infrastructure. When we allow such attacks to go unhindered, we send a clear negative message to our development partners. It robs off negatively on our country,” he said.
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Commiserating with families of the victims, Mr. Nweke said: “We pray that the souls of those who were caught in the attack find peace with their maker. It is a painful thing to go to work healthy and come back in a body bag as fragments. It is so sad. But that is the reality we have at hand. We are pained by such needless deaths.
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“We also commiserate with the leadership of the United Nations, and especially the heads of the different UN Nigerian missions for this attack. I mean this is a world body that means well for Nigeria and Nigerians. It has given some Nigerians jobs and some others have risen through their ranks to become world citizens. The attack on them, or on any other place, is senseless.(NAN)
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“We therefore call on the government to step up action and be more decisive in dealing with this cankerworm which has crept into the polity,” he stated.