The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has commended the youths for advocating for reform of the Police through peaceful protests and prayer Walks nationwide.
The president of CAN, Rev. Dr Samson Ayokunle gave the commendation in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Ayokunle noted that CAN was not unaware of the sacrifices of the youths; time, money and other risks in the quest for a reformed police and an egalitarian society.
He added that the association acknowledges and appreciates the patriotic agitation in a peaceful manner in spite of the pockets of attacks on the youths by hired thugs.
”We condemn in strong terms every attempt being made to stop or disrupt the peaceful protest which is lawfully allowed and guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
”We are monitoring the #EndSARS protests nationwide and we are praying that their unprecedented efforts to have a decent society will not be in vain.
”We call on the military and police to resist the temptation to intervene in a civil protest in order to avoid a harvest of deaths.
We have had enough of mass burials without fighting a war in the recent past,” he said.
Ayokunle, however, called on the Federal and state governments to walk their talk with a view to restoring the lost trust to the governed by doing the following.
”Immediate inauguration of Judicial or Quasi-Judicial panel with representatives of the Civil society at all levels with a view to bringing all the criminals in uniform to book.
”President Buhari should immediately send an Appropriation bill to the National Assembly for the compensation of all victims of police brutality and other extrajudicial killings in the last 10 years.
”Fresh recruitment into police should take background check of those being recruited into consideration so as to avoid recruiting criminals into the force as we had seen.
”Similarly, semi-literates should never be recruited into the Police again. Well educated, morally and mentally sound people are good enough to wear police uniform in Nigeria.
”All the three tiers of the government should stop paying lip service to the welfare of the people and immediately begin the welfare programme that will bring succor to the suffering masses,” he said.
Ayokunle added that each of the 36 state governors including the FCT Minister should set up a committee to dialogue with the representatives of the protesters.
”The Inspector General of Police should suspend the implementation of the establishment of SWAT until sanity is restored to the Police.
“All the officers and rank and file who were members of SARS should be screened administratively to unmask the rotten eggs among them with a view to sanctioning them.
”The government should wake up now and provide a future for our youths through provision of gainful employment or enabling environment for their employment,“he said.
”We call on all churches in the country to be praying for the deliverance of our country from all self-inflicted problems,” he said.
