EndSARS protests: Consequence of leadership failure, says Gov Okowa
- Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has weighed in on the #EndSARS protests
- The Delta state governor says the protests are rooted in fundamental societal challenges Nigeria has been battling for years
- The governor made his submission while addressing young #EndSARS protesters at Government House, Asaba
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Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Tuesday, October 13 said the ongoing nationwide protests for an end to police brutality in the country was a reflection of leadership and family failures over the years.
Okowa stated this while addressing protesters who stormed Government House, Asaba after joining their counterparts nationwide for the 3-day protests.
He told the protesters that as youths of the nation, they had every right to organise themselves to protest against societal ills.
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He also announced the constitution of a five-member police complaints committee, with two representatives of the youths as members.
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He commended the youths for conducting the protest peacefully and acknowledged that some of the issues raised by the protesters were germane and would be addressed.
He said:
“As leaders, this protest has also brought to the fore that we have failed ourselves. Your voices have been heard loud and clear; SARS has been banned but I assure you that we are not keeping quiet.
“When I commended the IGP for disbanding SARS, I did acknowledge that it was not enough; there is a need for further reform and re-orientation of the entire police force.
“The issues of adequate remuneration, training and discipline of the police force must be looked into critically in the reform process.
“It is about the reformation of the entire police and it is about ensuring that our nation is peaceful.’’
Meanwhile, a group, Connected Development (CODE) has asked the Nigerian government to live up to its fundamental obligation of securing the lives and property of its citizenry amid the nationwide #EndSARS protests.
Parts of a statement released by Kevwe Oghide, communications director of CODE on Monday, October 12 read:
“The Nigerian leadership must seize this opportunity to walk the talk and drive a much-needed security sector reform. It is not enough to merely dissolve the unit of the Nigerian police.
“CODE demands that perpetrators of the police/SARS brutality and extrajudicial killings face the wrath of the law and are held accountable, especially leading up to those peaceful protesters who were either shot or killed during this recent protest.”
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