By Alphonsus Nweze
The Anambra State Government is yet to compensate victims of End SARS protest almost two years after the incident and nine months after the panel submitted its report.
The State Government then led by Chief Willie Obiano in line with Federal Government directive to State Governments set up a Panel of Enquiry headed by a retired Judge to look into the allegations of brutalities by the members of the Nigerian Police Force and make recommendations for the compensation of the victims.
The Anambra State Judicial Panel was headed by Honorable Justice Veronica Umeh whose report was submitted to the former Governor on March 15, 2022.
The Panel which received 300 cases of brutalities and abuses by the Police, the highest in the country, recommended the payment of over N699m to the victims, while some cases were dismissed.
Unfortunately, according to Mr. Vincent Ezekwueme, a member of the panel representing the human right community and Chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Anambra State, “more than nine months after the report was submitted to the government, not a single part of it has been implemented, giving credence that the setting up of Judicial Panel of Inquiry was a mere political grandstanding to just douse the tension among the young people who engaged in the protests because of Police brutalities and abuses unleashed on the citizens.”
The rights activists said the former Governor, Chief Obiano in his 2022 budget made a provision of N300m out of the N699m for the implementation of the End SARS report as a way forward but nothing has been done since then.
He said the victims are looking forward to the implementation of End SARS panel report to provide succor and assuage their pathetic devastation, sufferings and the loses they incurred and to console their loved ones.
Ezekwueme called on Governor Soludo to know that the implementation of End SARS Panel report is a priority project that deserves urgent and immediate government attention.
“As a state with the highest number of petitions, Anambrarians, Nigerians, petitioners and global community are eagerly looking forward to see how the victims will be adequately compensated and perpetrators prosecuted as a deterrent to others,” he expressed.
He pointed that without payment of compensation to the petitioners, the intention of government would have been defeated, and the efforts of the panelists would have equally amounted to nought.
“Without implementation, the report have no effect and victims’ agony, pains and sorrow would continue to exacerbate.”
The activist urged Governor Soludo to promptly do the needful in this matter to rescue the situation by paying compensation to the petitioners and victims in order to save the image of the state.
He lauded the selfless services and sacrifices made by revered Hon. Justice Veronica Umeh and other panel members in serving the state with great zeal and for the interest of the people.
