Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he will not sign the 2021 budget if provisions are not made to compensate the families of victims of police brutality in the last decade.
Gbajabiamila stated this on Tuesday during the Plenary.
READ ALSO: Court Adjourns Suit Challenging Appointment Of New Emir Of Zazzau
“I will not sign off on a 2021 budget that does not have adequate provisions to compensate those who have suffered violence from police in the last decade,” he stated.
According to him, the Nigeria Police is not above the laws of the land, and so must be made accountable to the citizens.
The Speaker reiterated the commitment of the National Assembly to “establish a system of citizen-led accountability for the Nigerian Police ForceForce because in a democracy we have set out to build, the police are not above the citizenry.”
He added: “They are servants of the people. The police are not above the law, they are its guardians. As we endeavour to hold our nation’s police to higher standards of professional conducts, we must also make sure we provide for the welfare of the men and women in uniform.”
Gbajabiamila also appealed to #EndSARS protesters not to allow the protests to be hijacked by unscrupulous elements seeking to cause mayhem in the country.
While noting that the protesters have raised their voices for a righteous cause which has been heard, he called for discussions on the way forward.
Gbajabiamila assured that the National Assembly would work to ensure that the abuses of the past never reoccur.
