Akwa Ibom state Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has commended Akwa Ibom youths for their peaceful conduct in the “EndSARS” protest, assuring that their dissatisfactions are appropriately being looked into by the authorities concerned.
Governor Emmanuel made the commendation while addressing the “EndSARS” protesters today, Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at the Globe Square , Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo.
Governor Emmanuel lauded the timely response of President Muhammadu Buhari to the concerns expressed by Nigerians with the immediate disbandment of the contentious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Police Force, saying that the step taken will mitigate the generated tension over alleged police brutality in the country .
“Let me thank all of you for the peaceful manner in which this demonstration has been conducted. I want to thank all 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 has 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 stated .
He assured that Akwa Ibom Government was engaging the police command in the state to ensure harmonious relationship among the institutions of government and communities, in the interest of the people.
“…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 insisting that as their slogan says police is your friend, police in Akwa Ibom must remain our friend and 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.
He tasked the protesters to endeavour to end the protest peacefully and to come up with a documented presentation of their demands in form of a communiqué, while restating the commitment of state government to ensuring that issues raised are addressed satisfactorily by appropriate quarters.
“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”.
The governor assured that with the approval of community policing, more youths in the state will be engaged to work with the police to nip all sorts of criminalities in the bud, maintaining that their innate knowledge of the state, the communities and the people, involvement of community youth will guarantee greater peace and security not only in the state but in the country.
