President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday explained why his administration will not speak on the report by the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry on #EndSARS just yet, noting that government will allow the system to exhaust itself before making any pronouncement.
Speaking while receiving in audience, Mr Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State at the presidential villa, Abuja, affirmed that government will, therefore, wait for pronouncements from state governments which set up panels to probe police brutality in the country.
A statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) quoted President Buhari as saying: “So many state governments are involved, and have given different terms of reference to the probe panels.”
“We at the Federal have to wait for the steps taken by the states, and we have to allow the system to work. We can’t impose ideas on them. Federal Government has to wait for the reaction of the states,” he added.
On the recent removal of Nigeria from the watchlist of countries violating religious freedom, which Blinken said was “based on facts,” President Buhari expressed the country’s appreciation, noting that there was freedom of worship in Nigeria, and no one is discriminated against on the basis of his or her faith.
He said education is a priority in the country, “because when you educate a people, there are certain levels they will not fall below.”
The President equally appreciated the United States of America for allowing Nigeria to procure military hardware to fight terrorism in the country, and for the training given to the Nigerian military.
“It’s helping us to stabilize the situation in the Northeast, and we’ve made a lot of progress since 2015,” he said. “We are doing a lot on security, and the people involved appreciate our efforts.”
On the development of democratic ethos, President Buhari said Nigeria has adopted the American model, “hook, line, and sinker, with its term limits,” stating: “Those who have attempted to breach it were disappointed, if not disgraced. You are even lucky if you have two terms. Others try hard and don’t get it. The American model has been accepted by Nigerians as the best.”
Nigeria and her neighbors, the President noted, have been living with the impact of climate change for a while, which has seen Lake Chad shrink drastically from its original size, and affected the livelihood of about 30 million people in the Lake Chad Basin countries.
“That is why the youths defy the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean to attempt emigrating to Europe. Inter-basin water transfer is needed to keep the youths at home, and they can resume their lives of farming, fishing, and animal husbandry.”
Mr Blinken, who had held a virtual meeting with the Nigerian President earlier in the year said jocularly that it was now good to see him “mask to mask, hoping that we will soon see face to face.”
He appreciated the contributions of President Buhari to the protection of the climate, particularly his presence and contributions at the recent COP26 climate conference held in Glasgow, Scotland.
Blinken said America and Nigeria have diverse challenges, but a common denominator is security, and hoped for better partnerships, “so that the bad guys won’t get the good guys.”
He described the report of the #EndSARS probe panel as “democracy in action,” stressing that America equally had its own police brutality, and hoping that necessary reforms would be made.
In a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama at the presidential villa, the US Secretary of State insisted the responses by Lagos state and the federal government must show accountability while the grievances of victims should be addressed.
Blinken said: “We’re working with Nigeria to address security challenges, including those posed by Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, and other terrorist and extremist groups.
“In meetings with the President with the Vice President, with the foreign minister, we discussed the importance of a comprehensive approach that builds effective security forces addresses the underlying drivers of extremism, and respects Nigerians basic human rights.
“The United States is committed to helping Nigeria do that by continuing to invest in our security partnership, and the institutions that strengthen the rule of law, and that hold accountable those who commit human rights abuses, corruption and other acts that harm the Nigerian people.
“By tackling these issues, we can help to address some of the problems that have been key drivers of insecurity.
“To that end, let me say that we welcome the conclusion of the investigation by the independent inquiry established by the Lagos state government to look into the events that took place at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, in October of 2020, and this, of course, was amidst the #EndSARS protest, including the killings and other alleged abuses by the security forces.
“We anticipate and look to the state and the federal government’s response to the findings, and expect those to include steps that ensure accountability and address the grievances of the victims and their families.”
He affirmed that the US will work with Nigeria to alleviate the sufferings of those affected by conflicts and violence in Nigeria.
He said: “We’re also working closely with Nigeria to help the populations most affected by conflict and violence in the country, particularly in the Northeast, where the United States is providing vital humanitarian aid to approximately 2.2 million internally displaced Nigerians United States continues to build the capacity.”
The Secretary added: “The range of issues that we’re working on together is vast. But given the interests we share, and the challenges we have in common, delivering for our people demands that we find ways to deepen our existing ties and partnerships even further.
“That’s ultimately what this visit and the work that we’re doing every single day, between our governments and our people is that’s what it’s all about.”
In his remark, Onyeama called on the US government to review its visa application process in the country to alleviate the hardship of Nigerian applicants.
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