Osinbajo chairs committee to address issues behind #EndSARS protests

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will chair a committee to address the “deeper issues” behind the demonstrations against police brutality.

The panel was set up following an emergency meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) in Abuja on Monday.

The meeting which was chaired by Osinbajo lasted for four hours, according to Laolu Akande, the vice-president’s spokesman.

After over 4 hours of deliberations:
 NEC SETS UP COMMITTEE TO ENGAGE YOUTHS, OTHERS ON EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL SAFETY NETS & NATIONAL UNITY

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*COMMENDS NIGERIAN POLICE, SECURITY AGENCIES ON HANDLING OF DISTURBANCES IN SOME STATES

— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) October 26, 2020

In attendance at the meeting were governors; Mohammed Bello, federal capital territory (FCT) minister; Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), as well as representatives of the Nigerian army and the National Human Rights Commission.

The panel will engage the youth, civil society organisations (CSOs), as well as religious and traditional leaders on employment, the government’s social safety net programmes, national unity, among other issues.

The committee is expected to develop a framework on how the federal and state governments will respond to “the fundamental issues underlining the protests and arrive at effective solutions, including how to enhance Nigeria’s national security”.

The council commended the police and other security agencies for handling “disturbances” in some states and added that they are capable of restoring law and order in the country.

The committee has the following governors as members: Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Abubakar Bello of Niger, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, David Umahi of Ebonyi, and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta.