Executive Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has assured youths in the
state of 60 per cent representation in his new cabinet as part of his
administration’s efforts to redress their grievances.
Obaseki gave the assurance on Thursday when he held an interactive
meeting with youth groups at the Government House, Benin.
He described the Edo protest as politically motivated, following its
hijack by agents allegedly determined to cause political instability
in the state.
Obaseki said: “I am worried about the level of criminality. “Part of
the fight we had in our first term was the issue of maintaining law
and order and fighting criminality.
“Lots of these criminals hid under the cover of the godfathers who
called them their infantry, lions and tigers. “You could see them in
the last few days, the way they came out pouncing on people’s private
properties.
“The crisis in Edo is not the #ENDSARS protests but political because
the government supports the #ENDSARS protests.
“Just as we defeated them in the election, we will contain them. With
my #ENDSARS people, we are going to arrest them and put them back to
the zoo.”
“Without law and order, there can’t be economic growth because no
investors will come here to invest.
According to the governor, his administration recognises the role
played by youths in his re-election.
He, therefore, said that his administration had plans to reward the
youths with 60 per cent of appointment of youths under the age of 40
in his second tenure.
He said his government had no problem with peaceful protests, adding,
“I asked the police to give you protection but the police authorities
have a choice to either obey me or not. “Our position as a government
is to support the position of the #ENDSARS protesters because their
demand is legitimate,” he said and assured the youths that he was on
their side.
“The Judicial Panel of Inquiry is the first step to go and we have
instructed that the number of members be increased to 20 to
accommodate other groups.
“The panel has 90 days and I urge you all to give evidence to the
panel, which should be documented to enable us to implement its
report.
“Our security arrangements in the country must reflect our federal
system because I can’t be a governor of a state and not be able to
hire and fire my Commissioner of Police.
“But the #ENDSARS has helped us start the process. “The Public Works
Volunteer is a version of our neighborhood watch in the state. “We
have 900 people being trained. 1,100 others will be trained after this
set and another 20 persons per ward will be hired to be in charge of
public safety.
“As the governor, I will do everything within my power to have strong
internal security because we need to protect ourselves,” Obaseki said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended
by leaders and representatives of over 30 youth organisations in Edo.
A representative of the protesters, Abraham Oviawe, said their demand
emanated from the pain Nigerians had suffered in the hands of security
operatives over the years.
He thanked the governor for constituting the panel to investigate the
excesses of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and urged him to
ensure that the panel discharged its assignment creditably for Edo
people.
Oviawe urged the police to be civil in their dealings with members of
the public, while urging the police authorities to scrutinise the
activities of the anti-cultism unit of the force. “We urge your
government to re-constitute the neighbourhood watch and ensure the
recruitment process is open and transparent in order to assist
community policing in Edo,” he said.
Also, a representative of Civil Society Organisations in the state,
Curtis Ogbebor, urged the government to arrest and prosecute those who
shot and killed some protesters at Kingsquare in Benin. A
representative of the National Association of Nigerian Students,
Steven Imafidon, said that 60 per cent of victims of police brutality
were students. [NAN]
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