I won’t sign off 2021 budget without compensation for #ENDSARS victims – Speaker Gbajabiamila
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, have disclosed that he will not sign off the 2021 budget if it does not include provisions to compensate victims of police brutality in the last 10 years.
This comes as a result of an on-going nationwide #EndSARS protest by Nigerian youths.
He stated this during the House Plenary Session which held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“I will not sign off on a 2021 budget that does not have adequate provisions to compensate those who have suffered violence from police in the last decade”
"I will not sign off on a 2021 budget that does not have adequate provisions to compensate those who have suffered violence from police in the last decade"
– House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila#EndSARS#EndSARSImmediately#EndBadGoveranceInNigeria#EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeraNOW pic.twitter.com/UrQZfpyf8Y
— Channels Television (@channelstv) October 20, 2020
He equally added that the Nigeria Police is not above the laws of the land, adding that they must be accountable to the citizens.
“We will establish a system of citizen-led accountability for the Nigerian Police Force because in a democracy we have set out to build, the police are not above the citizenry,” he said.
“They are servants of the people. The police are not above the law, they are its guardians. As we endeavour to hold our nation’s police to higher standards of professional conducts, we must also make sure we provide for the welfare of the men and women in uniform.”
The Speaker also urged protesters to call off the protest and engage government at a round table.
“Your voices have been heard, do not let anybody convince you that to withdraw from the streets now is to concede defeat.”
