PRESS STATEMENT ON THE THURSDAY APRIL 26, BOMBINGS OF THIS DAY NEWSPAPER AND THE SUN NEWSPAPER OFFICES IN ABUJA AND KADUNA BY RT. HON. CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI, CON, CHAIRMAN NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ FORUM AND GOVERNOR RIVERS STATE ON BEHALF OF THE NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ FORUM
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) received with shock and dismay, the bombings of This Day Newspapers’ offices in Kaduna and Abuja as well as the offices of The Sun and The Moment Newspapers and condemns this barbaric act in its entirety. This is one attack too many in a series of consistent destruction of lives and property in our nation. It is most abysmal that perpetrators of these acts unashamedly hide under the guise of religion and poverty.
The NGF realizes the quest and agitation of our people for a better nation and sustainable living and development, we refuse in its entirety the notion that brigandage and heartless destruction would herald our Eldorado. Our nation is bigger than all of us and we must all protect it.
We at the NGF condemn these acts and pledge our support for the security agencies and the Federal Government in our quest to guarantee the lives and properties of every Nigerian citizen regardless of race or creed.
We commiserate with the families of all the victims who have died in all these unfortunate incidents. We also express our regrets to the publisher, management and staff of ThisDay, The Sun and The Moment Newspapers for their loss.
We reassure you that this is an assault on our collective psyche and one which we must not allow to go unchallenged. We ask the Media and Nigerians in general not to be deterred or undaunted by the acts of a few miscreants to plunge our nation into the valley of the shadow of death but to stay focused. As Nigerians we are a resilient people and have overcome severally in the past attacks on our psyche and nation hood. This time too, we shall overcome.
On our part as governors, we pledge our commitment to better the lives of our people and to guarantee the peace and security of our various states. It is an oath to which we swore and one that we are determined to keep. We also urge the Federal Government to remember that it owes every Nigerian and all those living in Nigeria the responsibility to protect lives and property.
Signed
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON
Chairman Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor, Rivers State
