Nigerian oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on the Nigerian Government to name and prosecute sponsors of terrorism and take immediate steps to halt the rising wave of kidnappings.
The union warned that the escalating insecurity poses a serious threat to national development and the safety of citizens.
The President of PENGASSAN, Mr. Festus Osifo, told journalists after the union’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja that insecurity has continued to plague the nation, warning that the situation has worsened in recent weeks.
Osifo said that while the recent appointment of a new Minister of Defence was a welcome development, personnel changes alone would not solve Nigeria’s security crisis.
“Beyond changing personnel, the government, at all levels, must act decisively to stop this mess,” he said.
He questioned why, despite claims that authorities know the sponsors of terrorist groups, they had not been publicly named or brought to justice.
“Gentlemen of the press, during the NEC session, we discussed issues that are plaguing our country today, bordering on the state of insecurity in Nigeria. We have all seen how insecurity has been plaguing our land, how this particular challenge has worsened in the last few weeks.
“Yes, we just received that a new Minister of Defence will be sworn in in the next few hours or thereabouts. But beyond changing personnel, beyond bringing in one personnel to replace the other, which we value so much, because we strongly believe in human capital, the government, both at the federal, state, and local levels, should do everything possible to curb this mess.
“We have heard several times when they tell us that they know the sponsors of these terrorists. The question is, where are the sponsors? Why haven’t you named the sponsors? Why haven’t you exposed the sponsors? Why haven’t you gone after them, taken them to the lockup, and gotten them convicted to serve as deterrents to others? We are tired of always having one minute’s silence for our brothers and our sisters.
“We are tired of always coming up to keep condemning and condemning and condemning. Beyond condemnation, beyond rhetoric, like the government, even if it takes us to look at those sectors that are not critical, we can go to the National Assembly and divert the funds that are there for the sectors that are not critical, divert them, and use them to buy sophisticated equipment to go after these terrorists. Because it is a country that is safe,” he said.
He also decried Nigeria’s economic hardships, pointing to soaring prices in the markets despite reported reductions in inflation.
Osifo urged the Nigerian government to ensure macroeconomic policies translate into tangible relief for Nigerians, particularly in controlling food prices and enabling farmers to return to their fields.
GIK/APA