EndSARS: Akwa Ibom gov commends youth for peaceful protest

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom, has been applauded for his “approach towards resolving crises” as displayed as he addressed the #EndSARS protesters in Uyo.

This commendation came from youths who had gathered in Uyo to join the nationwide protest against police brutality.

According to Aniefiok Iwaudofia, chairman Youth Caucus: “We want to commend you for the peace we have enjoyed so far in the State. Time was, when we had a lot of security challenges, but because of the zero- tolerance you have for criminal activities, we have enjoyed peace and development in our state.

“For this, we thank you deeply. We thank you Your Excellency for being a youth- friendly Governor, and for all you have done for us.”

Meanwhile, the governor has commended Akwa Ibom youths for their peaceful conduct in the “EndSARS” protest against police brutality.

He also lauded the timely response of President Muhammadu Buhari to the concerns expressed by of Nigerians by immediate disbandment of the contended Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police.

This, he said, will go a long way to quell already generated tensions over alleged brutality of the police unit.

“Let me thank all of you for the peaceful manner in which this has been conducted. I want to thank all the youths and all the leaders and also express our concern on what this fight has been all about. Let me also appreciate the President of Nigeria who had acted promptly to have announced the disbandment of SARS completely. If the President that we know has given that commitment, I trust that he will keep to it. At the state here, I want to assure you that there will never be anything like police brutality,” he said.

“Let me assure you that in Akwa Ibom State, immediately we heard about the issues I called the Police Commissioner and we didn’t only talk about SARS, but the entire police command that as their slogan says that police is your friend, police in Akwa Ibom must remain our friend, so they have given me 100% assurance, to work with the youths, the elders and everybody to make sure the state is calm and peaceful. He’s a man you can actually call the head of a police command that can be our friend. I want to assure you as the chief security officer of the state that we will ensure that this is done.

“Let me thank all of you and wish that as you end the protest peacefully and as we struggle in this country together God will make our tomorrow better than today, but I’m not only going to take these words of mouth, confer with your leaders and ensure that before you leave you will hand over a communiqué, which can say when the EndSARS came to our state, these were the issues they raised and I promise to take it upwards. I will also extract a communiqué from our own security meeting with the police; that the police will remain our friend because the essence of the police is to protect our lives and our properties.”