The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that he will not sign the 2021 Appropriation Bill presently before the National Assembly if provisions are not made for the compensation of the families of victims of police brutality in the last decade and if implementation of the agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government is not captured by the budget.
Both the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate sign bills passed by the National Assembly before they are transmitted to the President for assent.
In his opening remarks at the plenary on Tuesday, the Speaker noted that the #EndSARS protests “seem to have been hijacked” with pockets of violence across the country.
He equally noted that the Federal Government, through the National Human Rights Commission, had set up a panel of enquiry to take complaints from victims of police brutality but this had not convinced the agitators to suspend the protests.
He lamented that expectations from the ruling class were high, stating that, “Our people expect action and we just deliver.”
Gbajabiamila recalled that the House, after debating the issues with the Nigeria Police Force and the #EndSARS protests, met with the Nigerian Bar Association last week.
He further added that the President of NBA, Olumide Apata, had equally set up a panel led by Prof Deji Adekunle (SAN) to work with the House on how to amend and create laws to reform the police.
He thereafter revealed that the House is considering the establishment of an independent body that would investigate and recommend errant security operatives for sanction and prosecution. “The police cannot be above the citizens…and above the law,” he stated.
Gbajabiamila said that he would be leading a delegation of lawmakers to pay condolence visits to families of some of those killed by the police, stressing that they would be honoured after the visits.
The Speaker, however, urged #EndSARS protesters to be cautious in handling the matter. He partly said, “Don’t let your righteous cause be hijacked…and bring our nation to its knees…This is the time to move your agitation from the streets.”
