President’s broadcast empty, devoid of leadership qualities, says African Bar Association.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, berated people he called subversive elements whom he alleged were bent on using #EndSARS protesters to cause chaos and truncate the country’s democracy.
Buhari, who said this in a national broadcast, begged youths calling for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and police reforms to suspend their protests.
Advising them to resist the temptation of being used by those he described as subversive elements, he said his regime would not tolerate undermining of the country’s unity by anybody.
The President’s address came two weeks after youths demanding disbanding of SARS began protests.
But eminent Nigerians and #EndSARS protesters, who reacted to the President’s speech, berated him over his failure to comment on the shooting of protesters by soldiers in Lekki, Lagos. They said his broadcast was devoid of empathy.
Although the Federal Government disbanded SARS on October 12, the protesters insisted that government had not met all their five-point demand, which included release of all persons arrested and justice for victims of police brutality and setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10 days).
Others are psychological evaluation of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed, and increase in police salary.
The protests, however, assumed a tragic dimension on Tuesday when soldiers shot protesters in Lekki, Lagos. Scores of protesters were killed in Lagos and other parts of the country by security agents and hoodlums.
Several policemen were also killed in the violence.
On Thursday, Buhari said the youth protesting against police brutality must stop their protests immediately.
He warned the protesting youths that allowing themselves to be used against democracy amounted to undermining the nation’s security which his regime would not tolerate.
The President said, “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.
“For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and the law and order situation. Under no circumstances will this be tolerated.
“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.
“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.”
The President also warned “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.”
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