Failed 112 emergency line demo exposes govt failure, says NDC

Detailed summary

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has described the failure of the 112 emergency number during a live TV demo as a national embarrassment and a sign of govt Read More:…

The National Campaign Council of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has described the failure of Nigeria’s 112 emergency number during a live television demonstration as a “national embarrassment”, accusing the federal government of failing to provide reliable public services.

The council said the incident exposed the state of the country’s emergency response infrastructure and raised questions about the government’s preparedness to protect citizens.

Its spokesperson, Chiogo Ikokwu, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday in reaction to the failed demonstration of the line during the appearance of an All Progressives Congress chieftain, Alwan Hassan, on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

Hassan, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, had challenged the programme’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, to dial 112 to demonstrate that the emergency number was operational.

However, the call failed to connect, prompting Hassan to suggest that the problem could be caused by network issues.

Reacting, the NDC described the incident as an example of what it called the failure of the APC-led government.

“The failed attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s Campaign Spokesperson, Mallam Alwan Hassan, to demonstrate the functionality of Nigeria’s 112 emergency line on national television was nothing short of a national embarrassment,” the statement read.

The council said the incident raised serious questions about the state of Nigeria’s emergency response infrastructure, arguing that citizens needed a functional system to access help during accidents, violent attacks and medical emergencies.

“Giving an excuse that the line did not work because of ‘network issues’ does not cut it at all,” it reads further in parts.

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