UN ENVOY CALLS FOR RISK ANALYSIS BY UN SYTEMS

L-R Dr. David Okello, Mr. Gregory Starr and Mr. Daoude Taoure

UN House Abuja-after bomb blast

UN envoy calls for risk analysis by UN systems.
NGOZI JOHN-ANIGBOGU, Abuja

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Dauda Toure has stressed the need for UN systems to conduct security risk analysis and ensure that there are minimum conditions of security for all UN personnel.

Mr. Toure stated this during a press conference in Abuja on the aftermath of the Bomb blast at UN Headquarters in Abuja last Friday.

He commended the Nigerian government and the people for their support describing it as a vote of confidence on the humanitarian and community efforts of the UN in Nigeria.

‘’We must also emphasize the support morally and all the messages that we received from the people of Nigeria from all walks of life, from all beliefs that really we take, as United Nations System in this country, as a vote of confidence for what we have been doing; because what we’ve been doing is about making sure that there is betterment in the life of the community we are here to serve.’’

The Nigerian government provides security for the seventy UN agencies in Nigeria.

The Resident Co-coordinator said the United Nations was shocked that its structure could be a target of terrorist attack in Nigeria and attributed this to the ignorance of the operations of the UN in Nigeria by the perpetrators of the attack.

‘’ Certainly terrorism itself is not the answer to any question in the days and age where we are promoting democracy and inclusiveness around the world.

"There should be a way in any civilized country and Nigeria being that important lead country in this continent, where we think that there should be solution to any disagreement outside of terrorism because as we can see it, terrorism targets innocent people, claims lives of people that have nothing to do with whatever course people are pursuing and it is not the UN only, it is the international community that has decided that it should not  be allowed to encourage terrorism.’’

Mr Toure commended the National Hospital Abuja for its prompt assistance and continued support saying despite the fact that this happened on a weekend, the hospital’s personnel worked round the clock to render assistance.

’’Since that day not a single victim died in the hospital.

This is something for commendation; it shows that the hospital has done a good job, they had managed to intervene on time and we have not yet lost anybody in the hospital.’’

Breakdown of the victims by the UN shows that 23 people died, 11 UN staff, 10 Nigerians and one Norwegian. Also 9 non-UN staff and 3 unidentified others. On Sunday, 8 staff members on life support systems were evacuated to South Africa on an air ambulance.

4 other critically injured staff members were also airlifted to South Africa on Monday.

The UN has set up a Counseling Centre to handle those in trauma and those who lost their dear ones in the heinous attack.

Also speaking, the UN Head of Security, Gregory Starr, noted that the attack was a result of a long term and medium threat situation. 

He acknowledged that the UN building in Nigeria was ‘quite well protected’ but added that they would take further measures in future.

‘’We mourn every person that we lost, we mourn with the families of those that were injured.’’
Mr Starr said that the Nigerian government had begun investigation into the incident with the assistance of the UN and some international forensic experts.

Iheanacho