The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s 24-hour curfew over unabated #EndSARS protests, as confrontational and ill-advised.
The PDP in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, said Sanwo-Olu’s decision could aggravate the agitations by the protesters.
“The PDP opines that the decision is confrontational, ill-advised and capable of inflaming the already compressed “beast” in the peaceful demonstrators against Police brutality and other government induced vices in the state.
“The governor must consequently take responsibility for any degeneration into maiming, killing and oppressive arrest.
“The governor has again showed that he acts copy and paste in governance,” Gani said.
According to him, the peculiarities of issues of agitations in the state are such that the governor only needs to act immediately rather than declaring curfew apparently because one or two governors did same.
The spokesman said that Sanwo-Olu should have gone ahead to announce welfare supports for the officers in Police Command and declare the account of the Lagos State Security Trust Funds (LSSTF).
He said that the governor should stop toll collections in the state, announce at least 50 per cent tuition fees reduction in all state government schools and scrap or reduce, by at least 50 per cent, charges of Alpha Beta.
Gani added that Sanwo-Olu should provide discount by at least 40 per cent on Lagos housing, reduce by at least 50 per cent cost of all state-owned transportation within the state and reduction of his emoluments and that of lawmakers to mention a few.
“If Gov. Sanwo-Olu does these in 48 hours, these protesters will calm down,” Gani said
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Government on Tuesday imposed a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the state from 4pm Tuesday, as the peaceful #EndSARS protest turned violent.
The Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said during a media briefing at Lagos House, Marina, that nobody, except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets.
The state government on Monday announced closure of schools for the safety of pupils and teachers as #EndSARS agitations intensified.