After weeks of #EndSARS protests and calls by Nigerians
on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the situation, the
president has finally broken his silence.
In his less-than 15-minute long address, the President assured
the protesters that their voices have been heard ‘loud and
clear’.
He, therefore, urged them to discontinue their demonstrations,
saying ‘we are responding’.
While acknowledging that “the choice to demonstrate peacefully
is a fundamental right of citizens as enshrined in Section 40 of
our Constitution”, the President, however, noted that “this right
to protest also imposes on the demonstrators the responsibility to
respect the rights of other citizens, and the necessity to operate
within the law”.
The protesters had made five demands, which included releasing
all arrested protesters, justice and compensation for families of
victims, the creation of an independent body to oversee the
prosecution of officers, psychological evaluation of disbanded
officers before redeployment, and the increase of police officers’
salaries.
According to the president, the five-point demands have been
‘carefully evaluated’.
One of the first steps taken within the first week of the
nationwide protests was the immediate scrapping of the
controversial unit (SARS) which is at the centre of the
protests.
In addition to this, the president in his address said measures
are being put in place to address the other demands.
According to him, the dissolution of the unit was already in
line with “our commitment to the implementation of extensive Police
reforms”.
Without directly addressing the shootings by soldiers at the
Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos State and other parts of the country,
the president said he was “deeply pained that innocent lives have
been lost”.
He also reiterated his administration’s commitment to securing
lives and property and enjoined security agencies to do so without
harming those they are meant to protect.
Speaking further, he listed some of the poverty alleviation
initiatives by his administration, targetted especially at youths,
women and the most vulnerable groups in the society and asked
Nigerians to take advantage of them.
As for reforms in the police, he said there would be an upward
review of salaries of police personnel, as well as their overall
welfare, which was among the five demands of protesters calling for
an end to police brutality in the country.
“With regard to the welfare of police personnel, the National
Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has been directed to expedite
action on the finalization of the new salary structure of members
of the Nigeria Police Force. The emoluments of other paramilitary
services are also being reviewed upwards,” he said.
See the full address below.
Fellow Nigerians,
It has become necessary for me to address you having heard from
many concerned Nigerians and having concluded a meeting with all
the Security Chiefs.
2. I must warn those who have hijacked and misdirected the
initial, genuine and well-intended protest of some of our youths in
parts of the country, against the excesses of some members of the
now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
3. On Monday 12th October, I acknowledged the genuine concerns
and agitations of members of the public regarding the excessive use
of force by some members of SARS.
4. The choice to demonstrate peacefully is a fundamental right
of citizens as enshrined in Section 40 of our Constitution and
other enactments; but this right to protest also imposes on the
demonstrators the responsibility to respect the rights of other
citizens, and the necessity to operate within the law.
5. As a democratic government, we listened to, and carefully
evaluated the five-point demands of the protesters. And, having
accepted them, we immediately scrapped SARS, and put measures in
place to address the other demands of our youth.
6. On approving the termination of SARS, I already made it clear
that it was in line with our commitment to the implementation of
extensive Police reforms.
7. Sadly, the promptness with which we have acted seemed to have
been misconstrued as a sign of weakness and twisted by some for
their selfish unpatriotic interests.
8. The result of this is clear to all observers: human lives
have been lost; acts of sexual violence have been reported; two
major correctional facilities were attacked and convicts freed;
public and private properties completely destroyed or vandalised;
the sanctity of the Palace of a Peace Maker, the Oba of Lagos has
been violated. So-called protesters have invaded an International
Airport and in the process disrupted the travel plans of fellow
Nigerians and our visitors.
9. All these executed in the name of the ENDSARS protests. I am
indeed deeply pained that innocent lives have been lost. These
tragedies are uncalled for and unnecessary. Certainly, there is no
way whatsoever to connect these bad acts to legitimate expression
of grievance of the youth of our country.
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10. The spreading of deliberate falsehood and misinformation
through the social media in particular, that this government is
oblivious to the pains and plight of its citizens is a ploy to
mislead the unwary within and outside Nigeria into unfair judgement
and disruptive behaviour.
11. On the contrary, both our deeds and words have shown how
committed this administration has been to the wellbeing and welfare
of citizens, even with the steadily dwindling revenues, and the
added responsibilities and restrictions due to the Coronavirus
pandemic.
12. Government has put in place measures and initiatives
principally targeted at youths, women and the most vulnerable
groups in our society. These included our broad plan to lift 100
million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years; the creation
of N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund to provide
opportunities for the youths and the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund, through which government is:
a. paying three months salaries of the staff of 100,000 micro,
small – and medium – enterprises,
b. paying for the registration of 250,000 businesses at the
Corporate Affairs Commission,
c. giving a grant of N30,000 to 100,000 artisans; and
d. guaranteeing market for the products of traders.
13. These are in addition to many other initiatives such as;
a. Farmermoni,
b. Tradermoni,
c. Marketmoni,
d. N-Power,
e. N-Tech and
f. N-Agro.
14. No Nigerian Government in the past has methodically and
seriously approached poverty-alleviation like we have done.
15. With regard to the welfare of police personnel, the National
Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has been directed to expedite
action on the finalization of the new salary structure of members
of the Nigeria Police Force. The emoluments of other paramilitary
services are also being reviewed upwards.
16. In order to underscore the importance of education in
preparing youths for the future, this administration has come up
with a new salary structure and other incentives for our
teachers.
17. Let me at this point reaffirm the Federal Government’s
commitment to preserving the unity of this country.
18. We will continue to improve good governance and our
democratic process, including through sustained engagement.
19. We shall continue to ensure that liberty and freedom, as
well as the fundamental rights of all citizens are protected.
20. But remember that government also has the obligation to
protect lives and properties, as well as the right of citizens to
go about their daily businesses freely and protected from acts of
violence.
21. To our neighbours in particular, and members of the
international community, many of whom have expressed concern about
the ongoing development in Nigeria, we thank you and urge you all
to seek to know all the facts available before taking a position or
rushing to judgment and making hasty pronouncements.
22. In the circumstances, I would like to appeal to protesters
to note and take advantage of the various well-thought-out
initiatives of this administration designed to make their lives
better and more meaningful, and resist the temptation of being used
by some subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of
truncating our nascent democracy.
23. For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national
security and the law and order situation. Under no circumstances
will this be tolerated.
24. I therefore call on our youths to discontinue the street
protests and constructively engage government in finding solutions.
Your voice has been heard loud and clear and we are responding.
25. And I call on all Nigerians to go about their normal
businesses, and enjoin security agencies to protect lives and
properties of all law-abiding citizens without doing harm to those
they are meant to protect. Let me pay tribute to officers of the
Nigeria Police Force who have tragically lost their lives in the
line of duty.
26. I would like to thank those state Governors, traditional and
religious leaders who have appealed for calm and restraint. I also
thank youth leaders who have restrained their followers from taking
the law into their hands.
27. This government respects and will continue to respect all
the democratic rights and civil liberties of the people, but it
will not allow anybody or groups to disrupt the peace of our
nation.
Thank you all. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.