Kunle Adelabu
The Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, has stated that the lawmakers did everything to avert the disaster that befell the State in the last two weeks.
Massive destruction across the state had followed the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Plaza on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
While commending the Ikorodu youths that participated in the #EndSARS protest for the way and manner they conducted themselves, Hon. Agunbiade, who was a former Students’ Union Government (SUG), Lagos State University (LASU), and also participated in many civil rights protests against the military government during his school days, stated that hoodlums hijacked the protest and reversed the gains recorded by the protesters and the Assembly.
The ranking lawmaker stated this in keynote address at the 2020 Constituency Stakeholders’ Meeting held at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Permanent Site, on Thursday, October 29, 2020.
Hon. Agunbiade also stated that the House has urged the government to compensate victims of the attacks in the state and also revealed that the Assembly is conducting an investigation into the unfortunate experiences during and after the protest for the purpose of preventing future occurrences.
“That said, it would be out of place if we fail to mention the recent disaster that struck our beloved State within the last two weeks and the efforts made by the House to avert same.
“On the 8th of October, 2020, at the early stage of the #EndSARS protest, the protesters, upon insisting that they wanted to meet the Speaker, were addressed by the Speaker,Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, at about 12 midnight same day. The Speaker also immediately convened an emergency session to consider their demands. The session was held the following day on Friday 9th October, 2020, where the House resolved to:
“Call on His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, to direct the Inspector-General of Police to:
“Proscribe the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and establish a new outfit which will be more efficient with code of conduct and rules of engagement clearly spelt out; and
“Ensure that culpable officers of SARS at State and Federal levels are punished in accordance with the extant law;
“Call on the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command to: protect the protesters and ensure that they are not molested; and stop tge unwarranted molestation of our youths by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad”, he said.
“The resolutions were conveyed to the Governor and the President and it is pertinent to note that the Federal Government promptly adopted virtually all the resolutions of the Assembly”.
He condemned the level of destruction on public and private properties in the state by those he described as miscreants.
“However, it is painful that rather than allow the successes achieved by the Assembly’s intervention to be fully implemented, some miscreants hijacked the protest and decided to take laws into their own hands, unleashing mayhem on the State by destroying the means of livelihood of citizens along with significant number of private and government properties.
“These miscreants, with virtual impunity, looted shops and malls including government warehouses where Covid-19 relief packages were kept, killing innocent citizens and our gallant policemen as they razed down Police Stations, private homes, public utilities and infrastructure. They further attacked and desecrated traditional institution and our common heritage.
“There is no doubt that all of these colossal damages and losses which would run into hundreds of billions of Naira, would impact negatively on our economy and consequently on the citizens. While we sympathise with those who have lost persons and properties, we appeal to everyone to remain calm and embrace peace and dialogue.
“On this note, I wish to inform you that the House, after visiting the scenes of destruction across the State, has urged the Government to consider compensating the victims of the tragedy, while setting up an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the matter with a view to prevent a recurrence of the mayhem”, he said.
While assuring that the 9th Assembly would continue to do everything within its reach to bring governance closer to the people to enable participatory governance, Hon. Agunbiade also urged residents to continue to support the government by performing their civic roles.
