As judicial panels set up by State Governors to resolve issues of police brutality and related concerns across the country round up their assignments, the National Economic Council (NEC) is set to convene a special session to review reports of the panels that have now started coming to the Council.
This is among resolutions and conclusions reached today at the Council’s 117th meeting held virtually and presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN with State governors, federal ministers, the Central Bank Governor and other top government officials in attendance.
It will be recalled that the judicial panels were recommended after adoption of a resolution by NEC to address nationwide complaints of police brutality after the President dissolved the Police SARS unit. Almost all States in the Federation set up the panels including the Federal Capital Territory.
The Vice President at today’s meeting announced that a special session of NEC will soon be convened to consider all the reports that are ready from the judicial panels set up late last year to address the concerns of the Nigerian people on police brutality allegations and other related issues. That meeting would also consider the implementation of the reports including remedies, redress and compensations.
Also at the meeting, the VP inaugurated the National Road Safety Advisory Council as a demonstration of government’s continued commitment to addressing the challenges of road safety in the country. The Advisory Council is a critical aspect of the updated National Road Safety Strategy adopted by NEC and approved by the Federal Executive Council late last year.
The Road Safety Advisory Council is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi as Secretary. Other members of the 29-member Advisory Council include:Six governors representing the six geo-political zones as follows: 1.Chief Willie Obiano, FCA, Governor of Anambra State, representing the South-East zone; Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, representing the South-South zone; Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, representing the South-West zone; Alh. Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, Governor of Gombe State representing the North-East zone; Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State representing North-West; Mr. Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq, Governor of Kwara State, representing the North-Central zone; Secretary to the Government of the Federation – Member; Honourable of Ministry of Transport – Member; Honourable Minister of Works – Member; Honourable Minister of Health – Member; Honourable Minister of Justice – Member; Honourable Minister of Education – Member; Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning – Member; Honourable Minister of Environment – Member; Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment – Member; Honourable Minister of Police Affairs – Member; Honourable Minister of Interior – Member; Honourable Minister of State, Finance, Budget and National Planning – Member; Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory – Member; National Security Adviser – Member; President, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) – Member; President, Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) – Member; President, Nigerian Society of Engineers – Member and Board Chairman, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) – Member
Saturday’s Council meeting also received a report from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC on the issue of the terminated “Strategic Alliance Agreements” with solution options. Deliberations on this will continue at another meeting of the Council, it was resolved so as to give members the opportunity to properly review and consider the presentation from the NNPC.
The Council also received a presentation from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, on the establishment of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) to address the problem of sexual and gender-based violence.
She said the Centres which will operate as One-Stop-Shops will help to limit the physical and mental health consequences of rape and sexual assault by providing free, accessible, multi-agency, forensically secured service for survivors.
According to the Minister, “sexual assault can have a devastating impact on every aspect of survivor’s lives which can make them vulnerable to further episodes of sexual abuse or violence. There can be long-term physical and psychological impacts and this includes post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, inability to sleep, etc. People who have experienced sexual assault have three main care needs: medical care; psychosocial care and assistance; and support from the criminal justice system.”
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