Speaking at the end of the weekly Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, meeting on Wednesday, the Information Minister, Labaran Maku, said Jonathan had to attend the rally to prove to the terrorists that they cannot cripple the activities of government and they also cannot stop the administration of this country which, he said, was their fundamental aim.
According to Mr. Maku, it is incorrect for anyone to say the President is insentitive as he called off his trip to Ibadan and visited the site personally after the incident, adding that the criticisms of the president's actions were coming from politicians who are trying to use the issue to their advantage.
"I think that this is very bad… We should not be exploiting the emotion of citizens for a cheap political point," he said.
He added that government was doing everything possible to ensure that anywhere Nigerians are attacked, relief items are provided promptly and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has been strengthened tor espond to such attacks promptly.
He however condemned the media reportage of the blast, saying the FEC were disturbed at the way gory pictures of the blast were being published and circulated and called for a restraint in the reporting of such incidents.
"Yes, we must report, but in reporting, we must be sensitive to the psychological state of our people," he said.
He therefore called on Nigerians to not allow the spate of terrorism dampen their spirit but rather, they should be united in committed to kicking out terrorism from the country.
The president had faced harsh criticisms from Nigerians for attending a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, politically rally in Kano State, a day after a terrible blast in Nyanya park in Abuja.
Source: Premium Times
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