The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to take proactive step towards ending the spate of killing of innocent Nigerians in some northern states by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
The union stated that the recent Easter celebration killing of 20 people in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State by Fulani herdsmen has added another dimension to the senseless killings, warning that the killings if left unchecked may continue to have negative consequences in the future and development of this country.
The oil workers’ union in a statement signed by Igwe Achese, its national president, said the killings and rising insecurity in the North is already taking toll on the nation’s economy, stressing that the government must change its approach to handling the issue.
“The economy of the North is completely crippled because of the frequent attacks on innocent people and places which have in turn raised the prices of foods and commodities like onions, tomatoes, pepper and cattle brought from the North to the South for sale,” the statement said.
It advises Federal Government to concentrate more on scientific intelligence gathering to fish out perpetrators of these dastardly acts, while calling on the elders of the North to appeal to their children to sheathe the swords and embrace dialogue, which the government is ready to enter into with them.
It stated that the nation cannot continue to lament the incessant killings without taking proactive measures. It called on patriotic Nigerians to volunteer information on the activities of these dreaded people to security agencies so that such violence can be nipped in the bud before escalation.
JOSHUA BASSEY
