PDP Blames DSS Over Abuja Bombings

Mon, Oct 5, 2015
By publisher
3 MIN READ

BREAKING NEWS, Politics

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THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has blamed the Department of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies for the twin bombings in Nyanya and Kuje satellite towns of the federal capital territory, on Friday, October 2.

In a statement signed by Uche Secondus, acting national chairman of the PDP, the party said: “Our checks reveal that poor intelligence gathering by the Department of State Services, DSS, and other relevant intelligence group is largely, if not directly responsible for the resurgence of terrorists, who have earlier been pushed to the precipices in the Sambisa forest in Borno State, to the extent that they have slipped back into other cities, including the nation’s capital.”

The statement said that from all indications that the DSS under the watch of Lawal Daura, director- general, appeared not seem to be in full grip of the intelligence situation.

Secondus said the problem was traceable to the avoidable distractions caused by the use of the agency for political assignments since Daura became the new director-general as well as the administrative disharmony within the service at the expense thereby causing erosion of professionalism, harmony and loyalty among personnel.

 According to the PDP boss, in the last few months, the DSS had, instead of concentrating on its primary statutory duties of providing domestic intelligence, security service and criminal investigations for the state, had, under Daura, “directed all its energies on political matters; chasing after opposition elements, interfering in election tribunal activities, intimidating and hounding tribunal witnesses, while terrorists resurge, and combatant security forces left with scanty intelligence.”

He added: “The situation with the DSS has become so pathetic that it could not even effectively analyze reported suspicious tweets “predicting the attacks” as a cue to forestall last Friday’s attack in Abuja and other parts of the country. Indeed, our nation cannot afford a retrogression from the gains already made in the fight against terrorism due to the failure of a disorganized, improperly coordinated and distracted intelligence agency, that is not able to live up to its billing.”

Secondus, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently take a critical look at the situation in the DSS with a view to overhauling its management, administration and operations so as 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,” he said.

The PDP leader also urged Nigerians irrespective of our political differences, to join hands with government to in the fight against terrorism in the country. “A great nation is the dream and aspiration of every Nigerian and that was demonstrated just on Thursday, when the populace renewed their faith in the oneness and progress of the country during the 55th Independence anniversary celebration,” he said.

—  Oct 5, 2015 @ 18:20 GMT

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