The National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday revealed that the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their collaborators secessionist were the shadows that hijacked the protest and widespread lawlessness across the country. Hoodlums have reportedly hijacked the EndSARS protest that caused lawlessness and widespread looting of both private and public properties that worth billions of naira.
The NEC, as chaired by the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in a communiqué shortly made available after the virtual NEC meeting said it reviewed the activities of IPOB and other secessionist groups, saying that such high handedness shall not be left unpunished, as it has become a trend in their activities to hijack all form of protest to cause lawlessness.
Although the NEC acknowledged the civil unrest to partly cause by economic hardship but noted that good governance and improved service delivery can go a long way in addressing its further occurrence in the country.
The meeting also acknowledged that the social welfare of citizenry must be given greater priority in the first instance.
The council at the end of the meeting resolved to form a new security and stability architecture for the country which should engage the youth in its framework and other civil society groups.
It revealed the framework for the national unity would engage the security agencies that would require devolution of power to state governments who are closer to the grassroots.
Meanwhile, the council resolved that Osinbajo lead a committee constituted to address the “deeper” issues behind the #EndSARS protest and its fallouts.
Accordingly, the committee would engage youth, representatives of civil society groups, religious and traditional groups, social safety net among other key issues.
Members of the committee would include governors of, Borno Sokoto, Niger, Ebonyi, Ondo states that makes up the six geopolitical zones in the country.
The committee is expected to swing to action with immediate effect, development of a comprehensive framework that would coordinate joint action by both the states and the federal government shall be their first assignment. Subsequently, what were the fundamentals problem were responsible and a way forward to enhance national security will follow.
The NEC backed President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to a complete overhaul of the nation’s security services.
The council lauded the security agencies on the way they handled the protesters, saying the government is confident that its security acted professionally.
Meanwhile, the council urged the CACOVID to come out and clear the air being an independent body to tell Nigerians exactly the mystery surrounding the palliative donated to the state government and the circumstance attached to late distribution as they were still lying at the warehouses.
Meanwhile, the NEC condemned the use of social media for spreading fake news and fuelling misinformation that nearly set the country ablaze.
