Osinbajo Dispatches 5 Ministers to Ozubulu
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday sent a five-man delegation to Anambra State to visit and condole with the government and people of the state over last Sunday’s attack on worshippers at the St. Philips Catholic Church in Ofufe-Amakwa, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement, said the delegation comprises the Ministers of Labour, Health and Foreign Affairs, Chris Ngige, Isaac Adewole and Geoffrey Onyeama, respectively as well as the Ministers of State for Environment and Education, Jubrin Ibrahim and Anthony Anwuka.
Akande said the delegation would present a condolence letter from the acting president on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria to Governor Willie Obiano.
He said Osinbajo also commiserated with the families, friends of the victims and the Ozubulu community over the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
He quoted Osinbajo as condemning, in very strong terms, “the atrocious and dastardly act which had brought sorrow to many innocent families and, had rightly provoked widespread condemnation.
The acting president was quoted thus: “Such barbaric act constitutes an affront to our common humanity, and challenges, but will not overwhelm our collective resolve to rid our communities of all forms of violent crimes and criminality.”
Osinbajo was also quoted as saying that the federal government remained undeterred and would continually commit to deploying all available resources towards ensuring adequate security of lives and property in Anambra State and the entire country.
The acting president noted that he had instructed law enforcement agencies to bring perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice without any delay.
He said he would remain engaged with Governor Obiano, the police authorities and other security agencies to ensure that the lives and property of citizens of Anambra State and all Nigerians are well protected anywhere they live.
The federal government also assured of adequate medical treatment of the injured victims, saying those with special cases could be flown abroad.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who made the disclosure when he led the delegation, commended the medical team for their level of emergency preparedness, saying the results are glaring.
Ngige, who was taken round the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, with his team by the deputy governor of the state, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said the federal government considers the incident as sacrilegious and heinous, adding that the delegation would convey the report for necessary actions.
“Going round the wards, we noticed that the medical team in the hospital are on top of the situation. We assured them that if any case is beyond them and requires overseas transfer, the federal government would not hesitate to assist them. The family of those who lost their lives, hospitalized and incapacitated, including one man from Ebonyi State whose wife died in the melee, such people, for sure, would need assistance,” he added.