PRESS RELEASE

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Haiti Earthquake Disaster

1.      On Tuesday, 12 January, 2010 a massive Earthquake ripped through Port-an-Prince, the Capital City of the Republic of Haiti. The earthquake killed an estimated 150,000 people, rendered over a million injured, homeless and displaced, and caused massive infrastructural, economic and commercial damage of billions of United States dollars. The Haiti earthquake is one of mankind’s greatest natural disasters with the capacity of unleashing a humanitarian quagmire of a horrendous proportion.

2.      Speedily and with commendable decisiveness, governments-big, and small, International relief organisations, humanitarian agencies, NGOs, faith groups and thousands of volunteers are expressing their  sympathies and extending their solidarity to the Haitian people and government; and are rushing in human, material and medical resources to manage the disaster and mitigate its impact. We of the Labour Party salute the vision, care and concern of these countries, groups and individuals who are declaring their common humanity, empathy and shared values with the Haitian people.

3.      It is however, sad and baffling, if not outrightly embarrassing, that over 6 days since this horrifying spectacle was unleashed on Haiti, the federal government has taken no visible, decisive steps as is required of it in times of this extreme emergency. And for a government which continually cants that its institutions are functioning efficiently and smoothly in the absence of Mr President for about 60 days now, this unbecoming situation is an eloquent testimony of its incoherence, days functionalism and insipient inaction. It has neither issued a solidarity message of note, nor is it mobilising human, medical and material resources for the assistance of the victims. We deplore this inaction and insensitivity in the strongest possible term, and declare that natural disasters have no language or geographical colour; they can occur at any time, any where, and any how. The world is watching.

4.      We call upon the federal government to quickly set in motion the machinery that will ensure a Nigerian response, as belated as this may be coming. National institutions like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Refugees Commission, the Nigerian Red Cross, the Nigerian Police, Ministry of Health, Special detachments of the Nigerian Army and local humanitarian organizations, relief agencies and volunteer groups should be mobilized and co-ordinated to lend their expertise in this direction. Areas of contribution should include medical and relief supplies, disaster management and deployment of Police and Soldiers to help with the on-going rescue and evacuation work on the ground.

5.      We also call on the National Assembly to make quick and immediate appropriation in this regard when it is approached to do so. We also call on the relevant, already named government agencies to look inwards into their existing budgets to mobilize resources that will be adequate for this very important national assignment on behalf of humanity.

Barr. Dan Nwanyanwu, mni

National Chairman,

Monday 18 January, 2010