By Zik Gbemre

We condemn in strong terms the recent terrorist attack on the Pulse Night Club, Orlando, Florida, United States of America (USA), which left 49 people dead and over 50 people injured. That attack, regarded as the worst mass shooting and the deadliest terror attack on US soil after the 9/11 attack, which was carried out  by one obviously deranged 29 year old Omar Mateen, is not only highly condemnable, cowardly and wicked, but is the height of crime against humanity executed by one individual.

No matter what was used to try to justify this criminal act, no human being has the right to take the life of another, not to talk so much number of people, regardless of anything.

While we commensurate with the US Government and the American people over this rather unfortunate incident, we also consider it necessary to implore the US Government and its Legislatures to take more Executive decisive action to drastically reduce the issue of “Gun Violence” in America. Though, the stated recent incident is seen as ‘homegrown extremism’ that is ISIS related, but the assailant had easy access to the rifle he used to commit this heinous crime. The truth is that the issue of gun violence has taken a heartbreaking toll on too many communities across the US. With records showing that over the past decade in America, more than 100,000 people have been killed as a result of ‘gun violence’—and millions more have been the victim of assaults, robberies, and other crimes involving a gun. Many of these crimes were committed by people who never should have been able to purchase a gun in the first place.

It is unfortunate that man has often times used his own hands to create problems for the human race, which usually end up threatening his very existence. It is also crazy that our modern world today is hiding under the umbrella of “freedom of choice” and “human rights” to complicate our very existence on earth. That is how best we can describe the ‘gun culture’ phenomenon that started in developed Western countries like the United States of America (USA) and has even gained grounds in some African countries like South Africa. What perhaps, we might say was initiated and promoted with good intentions is today claiming innocent lives in their hundreds and thousands.

It is in the light of this that we are making this appeal for actions to be taken by the US Government to address this issue of gun violence. We are aware that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, are committed to using every tool at the Administration’s disposal to reduce gun violence like have done some few months back. But it has been noted that some of the gaps in USA’s gun laws can only be fixed through proper legislation, which is why we urge the US Government to continue its calls on Congress to pass the kind of commonsense gun safety reforms supported by a majority of the American people.

Zik Gbemre, JP.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)