By Stanley Nwanosike
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has lauded Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra for establishing the Bureau of Missing Persons.
The Chairman of CLO in Anambra, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday.
Ezekwueme said that the bureau would help in no small measures in providing a database to enhance police investigations and eventual prosecution of suspects, which is a step in the right direction and deserved commendation.
“It is gratifying that Gov. Soludo has implemented one of the recommendations of the Truth, Justice and Peace Commission constituted by his government in June 2022 headed by Prof. Chidi Odinkalu with Mrs Bianca Ojukwu as secretary,” he said.
The chairman also appealed to Soludo as a matter of urgency and public interest to implement without delay a report of the #EndSARS Judicial Panel of Enquiry on Police Brutality and other Related Matters constituted by former Gov. Willie Obiano.
He said that it was unfortunate that the panel, which submitted its report on March 15, 2022 few days to the end of Obiano’s tenure and headed by retired Justice Veronica Umeh , is yet to be implemented.
“The panel carefully, conscientiously and based on merit recommended adequate compensation to the petitioners, if judiciously implemented will assuage the plights of the victims and petitioners.
“It is of prime importance to recall that the state received the highest petitions of 310 throughout the country, thoroughly, concisely, investigated all the petitions and based on merit, justice and equity recommended compensation of N700,000,000 to the petitioners.
“It is very unfortunate and gives credence to the postulation of some school of thought that the Panel was instituted to douse political tension,” he said.
According to him, in order to begin genuine and permanent healing, restitution, reconciliation and restoration process, Soludo should implement with immediacy the panel and establish Human Rights Desk or Office to help eliminate ubiquitous human rights abuses.
This, he said, would also give a sense of belonging to the victims, petitioners, rekindled people’s hope in government, improved security and respect for human and people’s rights.
He said: “It is worthy of note that its implementation if consciously and judiciously implemented will assuage the agony, pains, sufferings and predicaments of petitioners, victims and their families.
“The group equally solicits for the governor to constitute a committee that will bring a government White Paper on the recommendations of #EndSARS panel report and payment of outstanding allowances of the chairman and members of the Panel.” (NAN)
