GIVE FAMILIES TIME TO GRIEVE - GIBSON
Give families time to grieve - Gibson
DUP councillor, Oliver Gibson spoke emotionally of his revulsion at the attack which has caused so much human carnage - and also re-registered his vote of no confidence in the current Peace Process.
"When I left Omagh on Friday evening, it was a bustling, happy and prosperous town. On Monday morning I returned to discover the town, I was so proud to represent, was in complete devastation and that the main thoroughfare had been littered with carnage".
Mr Gibson, who is related to Esther Gibson who was killed in the blast, was still visibly upset at the horror which befell him. He immediately extended his own personal condolences to every family that had been bereaved. He also wished a speedy recovered to the one hundred plus injured who were still in hospital at that time.
He appealed for time to be given to allow relatives to grieve and to bury their death with dignity.
"Omagh has been re-built on 27 occasions from successive IRA bombs. Each time we recovered and resolved that we would not allow terrorism to drive away commerce and commercial activity from our County town" he said.
After speaking to the shop owners and business people on Tuesday, Mr Gibson said he was delighted to discover they were widely resolved to get their businesses re-established and deliver once again an excellent service to the local community.
"I admire this spirit of resolve and I have every hope that once we have recorded our respects on the tragic deaths, and have welcomed and reintegrated the 100 plus who have been maimed physically or mentally, that we will then again restore our capital town to its former glory.
Mr Gibson added: "I have never believed a single word from Sinn Fein/IRA propaganda nor do I believe a single word from the present leadership of IRA/Sinn Fein".
He said he must admit publicly his doubts about their political integrity.
"I have no confidence whatsoever in the current Peace Process because all that it has brought is continuous murder. Worst of all it has brought devastation to the whole town of Omagh" he said..
Concluding he said that many who signed the condolences book in the Council office chamber on Monday morning "were total hypocrites".
On Monday, the DUP's deputy leader, Peter Robinson and William McCrea, Assembly member, joined their local colleagues for a briefing in the Silverbirch Hotel.
DUP councillor, Oliver Gibson spoke emotionally of his revulsion at the attack which has caused so much human carnage - and also re-registered his vote of no confidence in the current Peace Process.
"When I left Omagh on Friday evening, it was a bustling, happy and prosperous town. On Monday morning I returned to discover the town, I was so proud to represent, was in complete devastation and that the main thoroughfare had been littered with carnage".
Mr Gibson, who is related to Esther Gibson who was killed in the blast, was still visibly upset at the horror which befell him. He immediately extended his own personal condolences to every family that had been bereaved. He also wished a speedy recovered to the one hundred plus injured who were still in hospital at that time.
He appealed for time to be given to allow relatives to grieve and to bury their death with dignity.
"Omagh has been re-built on 27 occasions from successive IRA bombs. Each time we recovered and resolved that we would not allow terrorism to drive away commerce and commercial activity from our County town" he said.
After speaking to the shop owners and business people on Tuesday, Mr Gibson said he was delighted to discover they were widely resolved to get their businesses re-established and deliver once again an excellent service to the local community.
"I admire this spirit of resolve and I have every hope that once we have recorded our respects on the tragic deaths, and have welcomed and reintegrated the 100 plus who have been maimed physically or mentally, that we will then again restore our capital town to its former glory.
Mr Gibson added: "I have never believed a single word from Sinn Fein/IRA propaganda nor do I believe a single word from the present leadership of IRA/Sinn Fein".
He said he must admit publicly his doubts about their political integrity.
"I have no confidence whatsoever in the current Peace Process because all that it has brought is continuous murder. Worst of all it has brought devastation to the whole town of Omagh" he said..
Concluding he said that many who signed the condolences book in the Council office chamber on Monday morning "were total hypocrites".
On Monday, the DUP's deputy leader, Peter Robinson and William McCrea, Assembly member, joined their local colleagues for a briefing in the Silverbirch Hotel.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0035
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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