The South Africa Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the efforts by the different strata of government to address the attendant mayhem and loss of lives that that greeted the nationwide #EndSARS protests.
The party in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos said it was of utmost importance that the judicial committees were set up to address the immediate and remote causes of the violent disorder.
“We commend the efforts by the different strata of government to set up judicial committees to look into the immediate and remote causes of the attendant mayhem, the loss of lives, etc.
“It is of utmost importance that they (judicial committees) are given a free access to all that they may need to assist them do their job unhindered and without political interference.
“We equally recommend that the findings of these committees be made public and issues raised thereof, properly addressed,’’ the statement jointly signed by the Chapter Chairman, Mr Ekos Akpokabayen and Secretary, Dr Emeka Ugwu said.
The party said it had watched with keen interest the various political developments in Nigeria in the recent past.
“We have followed the demonstrations by the Nigerian youth across various states of the federation, pushing for an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which gained a tremendous international and local attention.
“We salute the astuteness and gallantry of Nigerian youths for taking the bull by the horn and exercising their democratic rights, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“Unequivocally, and in very strong terms, we condemn the alleged use of live ammunition by the Nigerian security forces on her citizens during the protest.
“We sincerely commiserate with the families and friends of those that lost their lives. They paid the ultimate price with their lives for a better and just Nigeria.
“Their struggle shall never be in vain,’’ the statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said.
The party urged Nigerian governments at all levels to, as a matter of urgency, address the barrage of issues and demands raised by the youth during their protest, adding that delay was tantamount to shifting the evil day, which will surely come.
It added: “Lastly, the chapter joins our mother body, the Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria in warning against the insatiable tendencies of the present administration to go on a borrowing spree, intermittently.
“This has a huge potential to mortgage the future of Nigeria and Nigerians, more so, the youth in many respects.
“It is of enormous importance that the government should focus her energy on addressing the security and other challenges in the country to create an enabling environment for the growth of our local economy.
“Nigeria has a huge deposit of human (both within the country and in the Diaspora) and material resources to tap from to grow the economy and these should be targeted and judiciously utilised.’’
