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The Army
Must Reduce People’s Suffering-NLC
Press statement
Newsdiaryonline Mon July 4,2011
The
Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) appreciates the fact that the military check points that
now dot the approaches to the
Federal Capital Territory
are designed to reduce the state of insecurity in
Abuja.
However, the harrowing experience the
soldiers are making residents of Abuja and environs to go
through is unnecessary and will do nothing substantial to reduce
the state of insecurity.
In any case any potential trouble maker
seeing the kilometres of traffic jam caused by the soldiers will
be alerted to take alternative routes. In fact, the
congestion caused at the points of blockade could easily become
targets of would-be miscreants.
It is unacceptable for the Army to create
such traffic gridlock in an axis like Karo/Nyanya which made
hapless commuters to be stuck in traffic for hours on Monday 4th
July 2011. The situation was so bad that many workers and
other commuters had to trek for kilometres, making the axis look
like a forced exodus of Nigerians walking to safety.
A similar scenario, although on a lesser
scale is going on in the approaches to Deidei from the Kubwa and
Zuba ends of Abuja. In this particular area, commuters had to
spend an average three hours on Saturday July 2, 2011 getting
through the military check point.
Also, the corporal
punishment these armed solders are meting out on Nigerians
particularly commercial motorcycle operators in the Karo area is
uncivilized and unacceptable in a country that has laws and a
functional government.
In any case, how does the Army hope to reduce
insecurity just by blocking highways with no checking of
vehicles going on, no sniffer dogs or visible security
equipment.
The NLC believes that the main ways of
defeating violent groups and ensuring security includes the use
of intelligence and encouraging the populace to come forward
with vital information. To put the populace through
unnecessary suffering and frighten them, will not encourage the
needed co-operation between the people and security agencies.
While calling on the Chief of Army Staff to urgently intervene
in this matter, the NLC commends the Army for its prompt
response in dealing with the issue of Soldiers-Traffic Officials
clash in
Lagos.
Owei Lakemfa
Acting General Secretary
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