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| Chairman of the Governing Council of National Human Rights Commission, Dr Chidi Odinkalu |
Victims of bomb blasts
which occurred in various parts of northern Nigeria have accused the Federal
Government of neglect.
In a petition they sent
to the National Human Rights Commission, they said: "We have been
neglected and abandoned by the Federal Government as it has failed to keep …its
promise of taking care of our medical bills, a promise made by the President,
Dr Goodluck Jonathan at every visit he made to the scenes of the blasts and to
the hospitals to visit victims of the bomb blasts."
They said that many of
them lost their lives as a result of lack of government's concern and
negligence.
In the petition signed
by Mr Kayode Olatunji in behalf of other victims, they said: "Many who
initially survived the bombing died months later as they could no longer cope
with the exorbitant medical bills.
"Many underwent
surgical operations in other hospitals after the initial hospitals at which
they were hospitalised withdrew from handling their cases".
The victims said they
recorded various degrees of injuries from bomb blasts which occurred at the
Independent National Electoral Commission's office in Suleja, Niger State,
United Nations Building in Abuja, Nyanyan Motor Park among others.
"We are citizens of
Nigeria who should enjoy safety and security of our lives like other citizens,
so we deserve to be given proper attention.
"We therefore write
to solicit for help from their human rights commission to cause the Federal
Government to its pledges for our treatment", they lamented.
Responding, the Chairman
of the Governing Council of the Commission, Dr Chidi Odinkalu assured the
victims that the Federal Government remained committed to the welfare of the
victims.
He explained that
government's commitment informed the creation of the Victim Support Fund.
NHRC is in the board of the fund.
He advised the victims
to come together and to reach out to other victims so that they could present a
united front.
Odinkalu advised the
victims to compile all necessary records including medical reports and evidence
of bills paid to enable the commission makes the necessary recommendations.
He said the commission
was ready to work with the victims to table their grievances before appropriate
authorities.
Odinkalu noted that
there was no protocol to manage victims of bomb blasts adding that this was
inexcusable.
He made a case for a
policy establishing a protocol to manage victims of bomb blasts.
The victims said that
most of them had mortgaged their inheritance and sold their properties to
settle their medical expenses.
"Some have dropped
out of schools and some are still on the sick bed," they ended.
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