Party blames DSS for Abuja bomb blasts, tasks Buhari to overhaul agency

dimeji akinloye

October 5, 2015 9:46 PM

It expressed concern over resurgence of terrorism in the Federal Capital Territory, with Friday’s bombings in Nyanya and Kuje satellite towns.

Uche Secondus

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the operations and management of the Department of State Security (DSS) to tackle resurgence of terrorism in the country.

The party made the call in a statement signed by its acting National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, on Monday in Abuja, and urged the president to also overhaul operations of other intelligence gathering agencies.

It expressed concern over resurgence of terrorism in the Federal Capital Territory, with Friday’s bombings in Nyanya and Kuje satellite towns.

It said that the coordinated attacks came when the country was already celebrating the success of its security forces in the fight against insurgency.

The statement said that PDP remained steadfast in its commitment to support every policy adopted by Buhari to end terrorism and secure the environment for development.

It noted that bombing was an ill-wind that blew no good to anybody in the community and was scaring away potential investors.

"We are therefore duty bound to draw attention to certain grave factors, possibly leading to the unfortunate resurgence, which, if unchecked could worsen the ugly situation,’’ it said.

According to it, the party checks revealed that poor intelligence gathering by the DSS and other relevant intelligence group was largely, if not directly responsible, for the resurgence of terrorists.

"The terrorists, who have earlier been pushed to the precipices in the Sambisa forest in Borno, have slipped back into other cities, including the nation’s capital,’’ it remarked.

It stated that the country could not afford retrogression from the gains already made in the fight against terrorism, and urged Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, to take a critical look at the situation in the DSS.

"Overhaul its management, administration and operations to ensure that the required leadership and spirit needed to operate optimally exists in the agency.

"We wish to note that our position is beyond politics. Security is a matter that concerns all Nigerians irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliation and must be taken seriously in the general interest of our dear nation,’’ the statement said.

The party urged all citizens and "critical stakeholders irrespective of their political differences, to give the Federal Government the required support in the fight against terrorism’’.

dimeji akinloye