The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Plateau State Branch, has strongly denounced the recent murders that occurred in Mangu LGA of Plateau State, claiming lives and resulting in the unwarranted damage of property, including houses of worship in Mangu Town.
In a statement signed by the Association’s State Chairman, Dr. Bapigaan William Audu, and the Public Relations Officer, Dr. Istifanus Bintum Bako, on Friday, January 26, 2024, the association urged the Plateau State Government to strengthen the State-Run Security Outfit, Operation Rainbow, to aid in the prevention of such attacks.
“The State Joint Task Force (Operation Rainbow) needs to be fortified and provided with the means and needed tools to mount an effective response to these attacks and to also nip in the bud,any attempted plan to wreak havoc on the citizens.”
“The relevant agencies of the Federal Government with prosecutorial powers should without any further delay,charge the already arrested suspects to court and ensure their speedy trials to conclusion. That no single person has been convicted since these senseless killings commenced well over twenty years ago remains a huge concern; and this has quite evidently emboldened bloodthirsty criminals disguising under various togas to continue with the unrestrained attacks and resultant killings of innocent people including children and women. The citizens of Plateau State deserve to know the fate of terrorists earlier arrested by the security agencies over similar attacks in the past.” the statement added.
The association took advantage of the opportunity to urge Plateau State Governor, His Excellency Barr. Caleb Mannaseh Mutfwang, to expedite the launch of the Plateau State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (PLASEMSAS), which was added to the national emergency medical response platform over three months ago.
“We believe that a properly manned and well equipped Emergency Medical Response System will go a long way in reducing the deaths as well as morbidities associated with these attacks and also aid in providing care for injured security operatives and other first responders.”
“Needful to say, the Government needs to as a matter of urgent public importance, address the issue of chronic shortage of the requisite skilled health workforce in the State (particularly in the rural areas) to mitigate the deleterious consequences of these attacks.” the association stressed.
Part of the statement also reads “While commiserating with the affected individuals, families and communities over these murderous rampages, all on Government at all levels to improve the resilience of these communities by delivering rapid infrastructural development.”
The association noted that “The perennial lack of power(electricity),a strong economic base,standard health facilities as well as employment opportunities for the rising population across the rural communities amongst others,has contributed in no small measure to making these communities vulnerable to unabating attacks by terrorists and other criminal elements”.
