Fellow Nigerians,
1, In the past few days, I have observed with keen interest the massive protests sweeping across some of the major cities of this great nation, especially in places such as Lagos and Abuja. From what I have gathered so far, I understand that these protesters, which consist mostly of vibrant youths, are chiefly demanding that the government put an immediate end to the tactical police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Also, I have been briefed that the protesters demand an end to police brutality and a general reform of the Nigeria Police.
2, Let me state very clearly that the right to peaceful assembly is one of the fundamental human rights enshrined in section 40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. Therefore, as someone who is committed to the dream of seeing our great country remain a champion on the narrow track of democracy in Africa, the least I can do is to identify with these youngsters for as long as they remain peaceful. My government will not turn deaf ears to the genuine demands of our youths, for they are the anchor in the ship of our nationhood.
3, About a year ago, upon my reelection into office, I took the oath of office to protect the lives and property of our citizens and to defend the constitution of this nation. Be reminded that I am still very much committed to my oath of office and will not watch and stand idly as the lives of our young men and women are cut short by some notorious and trigger-happy men of a police unit that have transmogrified into licensed terrorists. I will not watch and stand idly as the candles our tomorrow are quenched by men who should stand as candlesticks. I will not watch and stand idly as some miscreants hiding under the shadows of police uniforms tell our youths to eat pounded yam on earth and fetch their pots of soup in the land of the dead.
4, Frankly, it will be unfair to say that all men of the SARS unit are bad, for that will underplay the roles they have played and the sacrifices they have made in the crusade against armed robbery and kidnapping since they were established in 1992 by retired CP Simeon Danladi . Nevertheless, the lamp of the SARS, as most of you would agree, have run out of the fuel of good public image and confidence. As a retired General, I know for sure that a policing outfit, or any other security outfit for that matter, is bound to fail the moment it is generally perceived as being anti-people and oppressive by the vast majority of the members of the society.
5, Therefore, by the powers conferred upon me as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I hereby immediately dissolve the police unit hitherto known as SARS across all the police formations nationwide.
6, To further show my commitment to the demands of the EndSARS protesters, I am hereby directing the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who is a distinguished legal luminary, to set up a committee that will investigate, unearth, and prosecute all the allegations of brutality and abuse of human rights that have been levied against men of the now defunct SARS.
7, The committee will also be responsible for the compensation of the victims and casualties of the brutality and the abuses of human rights perpetrated by men of the SARS. We do not have the powers to bring back human life but we do have the powers to respect and value human life. And as a government, we will not tolerate extrajudicial killings and assaults on our citizens, both at home and abroad.
8, May I remind the protesters that police reforms are always work in progress and there is no policing unit in the world that is too perfect to not need some reforms as sociocultural changes begin to catch up with the society. In the Nigeria of today, a reform of the police force to reflect the challenges confronting us as a people in the 21st century cannot be overemphasized.
9, Consequently, in the coming weeks, the Inspector General of Police is hereby directed to consult with the leading voices in these protests and other leaders of the civil society groups to agree and come up with the most important and feasible reforms that can be implemented in our present day policing systems. For the sake of transparency, the IGP should highlight the timelines for these reforms and have it publicly available, so that the youths can serve as watchdogs until the necessary reforms are implemented. It can no longer be business as usual.
10, On this note, I plead with the protesters to leave the streets as this broadcast, they will agree, have addressed the strongest of their demands which is to end SARS, now. Now, SARS has ended. I hope the protests will also come to an end as soon as possible before hoodlums hijack it for private gains. If the latter happens, the Government will have no choice but to maintain law and order where necessary and decisively even. I will end this speech by reminding the youths of this great nation of the words of Martin Luther King Jr who said, in fighting for our rights we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
11, May our youths live long enough to realize their potentials in a new Nigeria where justice and truth will always prevail. May God bless you all and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
THIS SPEECH WAS NEVER READ BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT FORGOT IT IN THE TOILET WHERE RATS AND COCKROACHES ATE IT UP.
Image sourced from Nairaland.com