PRESS RELEASE
COPBSMI CHIDES FG, NYSC ON KIDNAPPED AKWA IBOM CORPS MEMBERS, CALLS FOR EXPEDITE ACTION ON THEIR PROMPT RELEASE
Coalition of Online Publishers, Bloggers, and Social Media Influencers, COPBSMI, has expressed total shock and displeasure in the way Federal Government and NYSC are handling the case of eight Akwa Ibom corps members who were kidnapped in Zamfara State on their way to Orientation Camp in Sokoto State.
It is more saddening and inexplicable that three weeks after the ugly incident where eight citizens on national assignment were kidnapped, there is no serious commitment on the part of federal government or NYSC to secure their release. No contact has been established with the parents of the victims or their representative to furnish them with adequate information on their release to rekindle hope of reconnecting with their loved ones soon.
It is rather unfortunate that NYSC has resorted to blame the abducted corps members for traveling in the night, instead of taking responsibility for their negligence of posting corps members of Akwa Ibom origin to terrorists-prone territory without adequate security measures put in place. This is unacceptable to us.
We want to remind the federal government that the primary responsibility of every responsible government is the protection of lives of its citizens. Government must not be seen to only protect the lives and interests of the elites, their families, and cronies alone, to the detriment of other citizens, as every life matters.
COPBSMI also frowns at the lackadaisical attitude exhibited by public office holders, especially politicians on issues concerning ordinary Nigerians. The organization observed that politicians only give attention to the plight of ordinary citizens during election season to woo the electorates to vote for their preferred candidates during elections and immediately the elections are over, citizens are abandoned to their fate. This has further confirmed that many Nigerian leaders are more concerned about the next election and not the next generation, which is rather unfortunate and must stop henceforth.
COPBSMI is more disappointed with the national students’ body, NANS for their dead silence over serious threats to the lives of their members and other pressing issues bordering on the welfare of their members. We are compelled to ask: Where is the Aluta spirit? What is the primary function of NANS, if not to protect and defend their members? If the apex students’ body has outlived its usefulness, it won’t be out of place to call for the proscription of the association.
While calling on the government to expedite action for the prompt and unconditional release of the eight corps members and the driver of the bus, we want to use this medium to warn NYSC to stop further posting of corps members to banditry-prone states or totally suspend the exercise until adequate security measures are put in place to secure and protect our corps members and all Nigerians from the grips of criminal elements parading themselves as terrorists.
Also, we call on the Akwa Ibom State Government to rise to the occasion and liaise with relevant agencies of government at the federal level for the immediate release of the victims.
An injury to one is an injury to all.
Signed:
Comrade Unwana Assam,
Director, Media & Publicity
07092023
