Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday, has inaugurated a Committee for the Protection of Human Rights in the state, with a call on citizens to be law-abiding in all endeavours.
Okowa made the call in Asaba while inaugurating the committee, which is headed by him.
Members of the Committee Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Isaiah Bozimo; Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyenga, Commissioner for Youths Development; Solicitor-General/ Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe and the Commissioner of Police in the state.
Others are Representative of the Youths, Mr Harrison Gwamnishu; Representative of Civil Societies Organisations, Comrade Israel Joe; Representative of Nigeria Bar Association, Dr Jonathan Ekpenisi; Representative of National Human Rights Commission, Mr Alpheus Ngwu and Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Political and Security Matters, Mr Theophilus Aguonye, who will serve as secretary.
Okowa said that the constitution of the committee was part of the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Enquiry that investigated complaints of police brutality and extra-judicial killings in the state.
He recalled that a year ago, youths in the country embarked on “ENDSARS”, a protest against police brutality and other issues, adding that the protest which was carried out in major cities across the country “truly shook the foundation of this nation”.
He, however, thanked God for his intervention at that critical period, adding that that it was for that that “we are inaugurating this all-important Committee put in place to ensure the protection of the rights of our citizens in this state.
“We saw a lot of our youths come out in anger against so many issues as it concerned the nation but particularly against Police brutality.
“There was a lot of destruction of property as the movements of various civil society groups and youths got hijacked by unscrupulous citizens of this nation.
“We believe that the youths who actually set out at the beginning for the protest meant well for this nation because they were actually there to draw the attention of the leadership of this nation both at the national and at the sub-national levels to the ills in the society.
“They said they were demonstrating against oppressive tendencies of security agencies, which were impinging on their freedom.”
He disclosed that a lot of discussions took place and that in one of the meetings at National Economic Council headed by the Vice President as Chairman, decisions were taken that were far-reaching and they helped to douse the tensions.
According to the governor, these decisions included the need to carry out some enquiry into the issues raised as to police brutality and to also find ways and means of assuaging the nerves of those who may have suffered one loss or the other.
