Senior civil servants urge action against Boko Haram
Following increase in attacks by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has called on the federal government to take tougher actions against the group.
ASCSN national president, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and the Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, said in Lagos yesterday that there is need for all security agencies in the country to intensify intelligence gathering.
“Improved intelligence surveillance will assist a great deal to unveil sponsors of the group so that they and the murderers who masquerade as religious crusaders can be brought to justice. As we noted in our previous press statement on the killing of 30 students at Federal Government College, BuniYadi, Yobe State in February, this gang of goons cannot claim to be carrying out any divine doctrine because no religion sanctions the killing of human beings,’’ the group said.
It implored the federal government to rise to the occasion by mobilizing the entire citizenry to fight the insurgents.
“This is surely not the time to play politics or trade blames but instead do the needful by fishing out perpetrators of this dastardly act,” it said.
The union also called on political parties, civil society groups, the labour movement, prominent citizens and religious leaders to unite against Boko Haram insurgents.
“It should be clear to the terrorists and their principals that no society can improve the welfare of its citizens if it is enmeshed in violence not to talk of a country like Nigeria where the populace is denied basic social amenities by the ruling elite even when there was peace across the length and breadth of the country,” it added.