While condemning the attack by unidentified armed men during a mass, the body urged the Federal Government and the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident, identify the perpetrators and make them face the law.
The NIESV President and Chairman of Council, Chief Emmanuel Wike, stated this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, during the 52nd annual national conference tagged ‘Garden City 2022, with the theme ‘Cities of the Future: Development, Infrastructure and Sustainability’.
Wike, who decried the rising insecurity across the country, also condoled with families who have lost loved ones and properties due to any form of violence.
“While we are grateful to God for this opportunity to gather and share with one another, we cannot afford to neglect the mood of our nation at the moment. Our heart goes to the families who have lost their loved ones and properties as a result of escalating cases of violence across the country.
“We particularly commiserate with His Excellency. Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, the Executive Governor and the people of Ondo State on the gruesome murder of innocent worshippers at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State during a mass on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
“We condemn the gory and mindless attack in the strongest terms and urge the Government and the security agencies to painstakingly investigate the ugly incident to unravel and promptly bring to justice the perpetrators.
“The implications of the insecurity situation on business activities cannot be overemphasized. When there is widespread insecurity, business investment, including real estate is affected.
“While commending the government for efforts put in place to address the security challenge, we demand a critical and strategic reexamination of the security architecture with a view to carrying out a comprehensive overhauling of same,” he stated.
Wike said while the government continues with the efforts to restore peace and security, Nigerians must play their part in lowering the palpable tension in the polity as a result of the security challenges.
“I appeal to all Nigerians to continue to support our security agencies while working to protect us. The least we can do is to give them our unalloyed support,” he said.
Speaking to the theme of the summit, Wike said cities play multi-faced roles in all societies depending on the way they are planned, managed and financed.
According to him, cities are drivers of economic growth and at the same time, the breeding grounds of poverty, environmental hazards and communicable diseases among other ills.
“Most African cities, Nigeria inclusive are growing without corresponding economic transformation – they are largely unplanned; highly fragmented and disconnected; pantry investment in physical, social, economic infrastructure and services; and characterized by informal modes of social protection, infrastructure and service provision and dysfunctional municipal administration, to mention a few,” he stated.
Wike further said a major drawback and cause of malfunctioning cities was the failure to plan the city growth and adhere to prescriptions and regulations.
“We must be serious about solving this most pressing national problem. The transformation of our cities to make them more livable and functional should be a priority.
“Failure to transform our cities would amount to a failure to meet the targets set out in the Sustainability Development Goals which was adopted by 193 countries including Nigeria,” he stated
