Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, said the state deserved true healing after the disturbances that trailed last year’s #EndSARS protests against police brutality, declaring that only sustenance of harmony can guarantee the realisation of aspirations of all residents.
Sanwo-Olu made this known, while speaking in a live broadcast held at the State House, Alausa, on the state government’s position on the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on #EndSARS submitted a fortnight ago.
According to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the state currently faced the hard choice of restoring harmony or doing itself a great harm, calling on residents to join his administration in strengthening harmony and put the state on the path of peace.
Sanwo-Olu, said Tuesday that his government will not inflame already heightened tensions that stemmed from a report by a judicial panel that probed the October 2020 shooting of protesters at the state’s Lekki Toll gate. The Lagos-appointed panel concluded the shooting of peaceful protesters at the toll gate by the military could be described as a massacre. But the report was fiercely discredited by the country’s federal government with Information Minister Lai Mohammed describing it as “nothing but the triumph of fake news. “Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu called for “a walk for peace” next month for reconciliation.
“In December, I will be leading a walk for peace to herald the healing of our land,” he said. “Let me use this occasion to extend an open invitation to our youths, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society groups, students, and the media as well as other stakeholders to join me.”
The governor that his administration was ready to facilitate better communication between the youths and the State’s security machinery to resolve issues before they become intractable.
The governor specifically invited Folarin Falana (Falz), Debo Adebayo (Mr Marcaroni), Dele Farotimi, Temitope Majekodunmi, Segun Awosanya (Segalinks), Adedotun (Just Detoun), Seun Kuti, Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu and Commander of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Yinka Egbeyemi and others to join him in the “historic march for our dear Lagos.”
https://tribuneonlineng.com/endsars-sanwo-olu-calls-for-harmony-invites-youths-for-peace-walk-to-herald-healing-of-lagos/
Nigerian judicial panel condemns 2020 Lekki toll gate shooting as ‘a massacre’ The Lagos governor did not directly comment on the federal minister’s denouncement of the report but remarked that “it is far too easy to take sides and choose emotion over fact, even when the truth is to be found in shades of nuance… Today, I stand before you to declare that I reject this path; and I invite you all to do same.”
He added that his administration’s response will be guided by law and evidence.
“As I have stated earlier, we have no intention to engage in histrionics or further inflame passion on a matter that has generated intense interest and controversy nationally and internationally. Our decisions and actions will be based entirely on the law, the weight of evidence, and unblemished respect for the truth.”
The Nigerian government has persistently denied that protesters were shot at the toll gate despite an abundance of video evidence and witness accounts pieced together by the news media including CNN.
Members of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution at the Lagos Court of Arbitration told CNN that the panel’s findings which contradicted official accounts of the incident were based on objectivity and facts.
The panel had, among other things, recommended that victims of the toll gate shooting and others who are proven to have suffered human rights abuses should be compensated.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also stated in his speech that more than 1 million dollars (420 million naira) have been paid to victims of police brutality in line with the panel’s recommendations.
Falz, Macaroni Decline Invite
Musician Folarin Falana (Falz) and comedian Debo Adebayo (Mr Marcaroni) have rejected the invitation of Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to a peace walk for “the healing of Lagos”.
The duo, in their separate reactions, rejected the invitation.
Mr Marcaroni said genuine peacemaking should begin by first implementing the recommendations of the panel.
Falz, on his part, described the ‘walk of peace’ as a joke and a very disrespectful one at that.
But Segun Awosanya popularly known as Segalink said Sanwo-Olu has shown leadership with his mature response to the current controversy.
The Nation reports Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, had invited some known faces of the EndSARS protest in the State in October 2020 to a peace walk slated for December.
The Governor, in his speech, specifically invited Folarin Falana (Falz), Debo Adebayo (Mr. Marcaroni), Dele Farotimi, Temitope Majekodunmi, Segun Awosanya (Segalink), Adedotun (Just Detoun), Seun Kuti, Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu and Commander of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Yinka Egbeyemi and others to join him in the “historic march for our dear Lagos.”
The Nation reports Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, had invited some known faces of the EndSARS protest in the State in October 2020 to a peace walk slated for December.
Reacting, Mr. Macaroni said: “I humbly decline the invitation of Mr Governor. The Government themselves set up a panel. The panel has made recommendations.
“I believe that genuine peacemaking will begin by first implementing the recommendations of the panel. Then we can begin to trust the government.
“Mr Governor has said it in his speech that to be a Centre of Excellence, we have to be a Center of Truth. Before there can be healing, the government has to be sincere. There must be acceptance of wrongdoings and willingness to correct them.
“The last walk wey I do, na so dem bundle me, strip me naked, brutalize and dehumanize me. I no carry gun, I no carry weapon. As dem dey beat me, dem dey ask why I dey disturb Mr Governor. Now dem say make I come do walk. For another round of beating??
“Abeg o. If I wan lose weight, I go go gym. Same peaceful Walk wey Nigerian Youths do wey dem kill them? Some are still in prison.. Some have gone into hiding. Their lives no longer theirs all because we decided to walk against police brutality.”
Falz said: “This suggestion of a ‘walk of peace’ sounds like a joke and a very disrespectful one at that. People were murdered in cold blood and absolutely no iota of justice has been served more than a year after. How can there be peace without justice?
“In this same speech, you said ‘To be a smart city, we first must be a just one. Remember the young Nigerians that had their lives snatched away by weapons wielded by our own Armed Forces? You want to sweep that under the carpet? Is that how to establish a just city? #ENDSARS
“Young Nigerians, till today, are still being constantly harassed and extorted by police officers!! You were awfully quiet about that. Or are you not aware? #ENDSARS.”
Segalink, in his reaction, said: “Mr Governor @jidesanwoolu has shown leadership with this matured response and we hope the WhitePaper will mirror his sentiment. We all want closure, Justice and healing for our society. The experience of 20th October 2020 must never be repeated. #EndImpunity.”
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