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I won’t approve 2021 budget without provisions for #EndSARS victims, ASUU – Gbajabiamila
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he will not sign the 2021 Appropriation Bill presently before the National Assembly if provisions are not made for the compensation of the families of victims of police brutality in the last decade.
Gbajabiamila also said he would also not sign the budget if implementation of the agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government is not captured by the budget.
Both the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate sign bills passed by the National Assembly before they are transmitted to the President for assent.
In his opening remarks at the plenary on Tuesday, the Speaker notes that the #EndSARS protests “have gotten more serious” with pockets of violence in parts of the country. According to him, the protests “seem to have hijacked” by those who have a different agenda.
Gbajabiamila noted that the Federal Government, through the National Human Rights Commission, had set up a panel of enquiry to take complaints from victims of police brutality.
According to the Speaker, none of these have convinced the agitators to suspend the protests.
He pointed out that expectations from the ruling class were high, stating that, “Our people expect action and we just deliver.”
Gbajabiamila recalled that the House, after debating the issues with the Nigeria Police Force and the #EndSARS protests, met with the Nigerian Bar Association last week.
He said the President of NBA, Olumide Apata, had also set up a panel led by Prof Deji Adekunle (SAN) to work with the House on how to amend and create laws to reform the police.
The Speaker also disclosed that the House is considering the establishment of an independent body that investigate and recommends errant security operatives for sanction and prosecution. “The police cannot be above the citizens…and above the law,” he stated.
While threatening to withhold his signature to the appropriation bill, Gbajabiamila disclosed that he would be leading a delegation of lawmakers to pay condolence visits to families of some of those killed by the police, stressing that they would be honoured after the visits.
The Speaker, however, urged #EndSARS protesters to be cautious in handling the matter. He partly said, “Don’t let your righteous cause be hijacked…and bring our nation to its needs…This is the time to move your agitation from the streets.”
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: Another police station set ablaze by Hoodlums in Lagos
Layeni Police Station at Ifelodun Local Council Development Area of Lagos State has been set on fire by suspected hoodlums.
Report also had it that the Pako Police Station is under attack.
Our correspondent also gathered that some hoodlums attacked Ajeromi Police Station but repelled by policemen.
An eyewitness, Ladipo, said at least eight persons were injured.
He said, “The crisis started from Orile Iganmu. People were protesting peacefully and the police shot at them. Later, the boys heard that policemen have killed their people at Iganmu, they also burnt Layeni Police Station.
“There is tension everywhere. We have rushed eight people to the hospital. They were critically injured.”
When contacted on the telephone, the Chief Press Secretary of Ajeromi Ifelodun LCDA, Sheriff Fakunle, said, “Yes, it is on fire. Layeni Police Station has been torched. The incident happened around 11 am.
“At Ajeromi police station, the hoodlums were repelled.”
Details later…
October 20, 2020
#EndSARS: Edo residents defy 24-hour curfew
Some residents of Benin City, the Edo state capital have defied the 24 hours curfew directive announced by the state government on Monday.
Reports from our correspondent shows that some of the residents are not complying with the stay at home order imposed by the State government yesterday after hoodlums disrupted the #ENDSARS in the City.
This led to the to the destruction of government facilities and alleged invasion of the Nigerian Correctional Center and release of inmates.
At the early hours of today, there are still burn fires in some parts of the city without any presence of security operatives while commercial drivers are running their businesses with shops, banks and other business premises remaining closed.
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: Senate in emergency closed session
The Senate is currently holding an emergency closed session apparently to appraise the current #EndSARS protests rocking various parts of the country.
No sooner had the senators resumed for the day’s plenary around 10:55am on Tuesday, than the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, called for an emergency session.
Apart from the issue of #EndSARS protests which the senators are discussing, our correspondent learnt that the issue of the confirmation of Aisha Dahir-Umar, as the substantive Director General of the National Pension Commission.
The Committee on Establishment and Public Service led by Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, had last Thursday, screened and cleared Dahir-Umar and other nominees for the board of PenCom.
Aggrieved senators who are spearheading the campaign against the confirmation of Dahir-Umar, are said to be poised for a showdown at today’s plenary, which obviously necessitated part of the reasons for the closed session.
Details later…
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: Lagos State Govt. impose 24-hours curfew
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state effective 4pm on Tuesday .
He said, “I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society. Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our State.
“As a government that is alive to its responsibility and has shown a commitment to the movement #ENDSARS, we will not watch and allow anarchy in our dear state.
“I, therefore, hereby impose a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the State as from 4pm today, 20th October, 2020. Nobody, except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets.”
Details later…
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: #EndSARS: Oyo youths block Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Scores of youths on Tuesday morning poured out in some areas in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and blocked the Ojoo end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in continuation of the #EndSARS protests rocking the country.
The expressway was barricaded where those travelling to Oyo town and the northern part of the country would pass to link the Ibadan-Ilorin road.
As early as 8am, we had that the protesters were out barricading roads at various junctions.
The barricade forced some vehicles to turn back and find alternative routes but not quite long, the protesters started blocking all the exit routes.
This caused gridlock and some motorists had to park their vehicles by the roadside out of frustration.
The youths also mounted roadblock in front of the police station in Ojoo in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The police had to lock their gate and their patrol vehicles which used to be parked by the roadside were all removed and parked on the premises.
Some armed policemen were, however, were at alert inside the police station but there was no incident as of the time of filing this report.
Also, various junctions were blocked by the protesters on the Ojoo-UI road as the youth continued to chant, ‘EndSARS! No SWAT!’
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: Nasarawa Youths joins the #EndSARS peaceful protest
Scores of youths numbering over thousands in the early hours of Tuesday converged on the Chicken Republic, along the Jos/Makurdi Road of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State to peacefully protest #EndSARS.
Details later…
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: Thugs set Lagos police station on fire
Suspected thugs on Tuesday burnt down the Apapa Iganmu Police Station in Lagos State.
The incident occurred around 09.45 am, according to an eyewitness.
The spokesperson of the Orile-Iganmu Local Government Area, Ayo Micheal said, “Yes, the station has been attacked.
“The burnt Station is in Apapa Iganmu but serviced both Iganmu community in Apapa Iganmu and Orile Community in Coker/Aguda.”
Details later…
October 20, 2020
BREAKING: FG deploys Soldiers, policemen in communities near Abuja airport
Soldiers and policemen were in the early hours of Tuesday deployed in some communities near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja apparently to forestall further breakdown of law and order as the protests against the scrapped Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force continues.
They were seen mounting checkpoints around Kuje, Soka, and parts of Lugbe.
These are communities adjoining the Shehu Yar’Adua Expressway leading to the Abuja airport.
The major road was blocked by protesters for the better part of Monday before some armed hoodlums invaded the area and dispersed them.
Details later…
October 20, 2020
#EndSARS: Ebonyi State government abolishes Police road blocks
The Ebonyi state government has announced a ban on police road blocks across the state.
Governor David Umahi who made the announcement while addressing #EndSARS protesters on Monday October 19, stated that his administration would no longer tolerate extortion and brutality on the people by police personnel in the state.
He urged the protesters to remain peaceful as they have by their actions, achieved much for themselves, the state and the country.
Umahi said;
“We will only accept a situation where security personnel stay by the road side, stop and check any vehicle they suspect after which the person goes.
“Resist any policeman who asks you for money and call me on phone because enough is enough.
“I want to assure that as far as I remain the Governor of Ebonyi state, nobody is going to molest you. You are fighting for your rights, you are fighting for your children, and you are fighting for your future.
“So, what you are doing is constitutional but you must be orderly to get something out of it. On the issue of activities of police at the Ekeaba police station, we are going to address it.
“You demanded a judicial panel of inquiry, we will set it up tomorrow. The members will be from high court judge, you will deliver two people to be members of a judicial panel of inquiry.
“There will be one youth representative, one student representative, there will also be a representative of the police and then representative of human right and then one person from the office of the Attorney-General”.
“They will seat and investigate the spate of police brutality, human rights violation, and related extra-judicial killings. They will also recommend compensations.
“There will be a trust fund set under me where the panel of inquiry is expected to collect complaints with the victims of police brutality, we will collect those complaints and then pay compensations.
“There will also be a special committee and human rights committee comprising the Governor to check the excesses of police.
“Security agencies shall be members, those on tactical units of the police shall be members, representative of the youths, and top representative of civil society organizations shall be members too. We are going to have immediately, human rights commission office for easy access to human rights complaints.”
On school resumption, Governor Umahi said the state university will resume on Wednesday in the state.
He added;
October 20, 2020