Kaduna Train Attack Questions Our Capacity To Govern — Govs

Obiajulu Joel Nwolu
Train
Train

Governors of the 36 states of the federation yesterday condemned the terrorist attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train service, saying the attack and other acts of violence in the country questioned their capacity to govern.

The governors’ reaction came as the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, lamented that with the attack which left eight passengers dead and 41 others injured, mourning had now become a daily ritual in the country.

This is even as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, described the attack and general insecurity in the country as rendering lives worthless under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It will be recalled that the terrorists blew the Abuja-Kaduna rail track with explosives on Monday night, forcing the train to derail.

Reacting to the incident, the governors, operating under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, said the attack was one too many.

Chairman of the NGF and governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, lamented that the spate of attacks questioned the ability of governors to govern their states.

Fayemi, who condoled with families of victims, assured Nigerians that the country would surmount the problem of insecurity in the country.

He said: “First, as leaders, we owe the victims and their relations an apology as these unwarranted acts of violence are becoming too regular and they basically question our collective capacity to govern.

“God will grant those that lost their lives eternal peace and a place in the deepest recesses of heaven. We wish those that were injured speedy recovery to resume their lives and put their heartless aggressors to shame.

“If the intention of these murderers is to disrupt the peaceful coexistence of Nigerians, they will not succeed and when eventually total peace returns to the country, they will surely either be lifeless or excluded. I can assure you that this is an ugly phase in our national experience. It will certainly pass.”

He commended the security forces for their “bravery” in curtailing the attack and also expressed the NGF’s support and commitment to enhancing their operational strength.

Read Also: Terrorists Bomb Abuja-Kaduna Rail Track, Attack Train Passengers

“While expressing our sincere condolences to Nigerians, particularly the government and good people of Kaduna State, we want to salute the bravery of our security forces in curtailing the magnitude of havoc this attack was intended to visit on innocent travellers. Our prayers are with you.

“We would continue to drum our support for the professional work you do and provide assistance in enhancing your operational strength and combat readiness. We recognize the enormous risk you take every day.

“The cowards behind this will certainly not take over our country. Their violent demeanour will not result in anything positive instead it will confine them to an uncomfortable life in the jungle until the long arm of the law catches up with them,” Fayemi said.

He called on the authorities to immediately install all necessary safeguards to forestall future attacks on the country’s rail tracks, roads, ports, and borders, even while asking the security agencies to improve on intelligence gathering.

“We need not remind those concerned that these constitute a major backbone to our national assets,” it said.

“We need to improve on security intelligence and ability to act on intelligence gathered. In general, we need to give comfort to all our citizens, residents, and investors that the security of lives and property can be taken for granted, and that there is a government that is clearly in charge of what needs to be done.”

Source: Vanguard

This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *