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Presidency Urged to respond to Popular Grievances

The United States on Thursday said it condemned “the excessive use of force” by the Nigerian military for firing on unarmed #EndSARS protesters.
The killing of protesters on Tuesday night has since drawn international condemnation.
Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said in a statement “We welcome an immediate investigation into any use of excessive force by members of the security forces”.
Pompeo said, “The right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are essential human rights and core democratic principles, and that those involved should be held to account in accordance with Nigerian law.”
In a related development, the Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently take steps to overhaul the machinery of his government in order to strengthen its capacity to respond to governance issues.
Lukman gave the charge in an advisory issued Thursday in Abuja, adding that like other Nigerians, Governors are at the receiving end of the unfortunate twist of the #EndSARS protest.
He said if all agencies and appointees of the Federal Government were alive to their responsibilities, the current pressure on the president to act in the wake of the protests would not have arisen.
“Although given their constitutional powers, they also have critically important responsibilities, but the Federal Government has superior responsibility to initiate a response to the current crisis.
“While this is not a period to resort to any blame game, it is, however, important to recognize that part of the problem weakening Federal initiatives is the inability of many, if not all the mandate ministries and agencies responsible for one form of intervention or the other to competently and effectively initiate needed responses”.
“The last few days, since Monday, October 19, 2020, are periods of excruciating pain, and, both as Nigerians but especially as APC members, we watched helplessly how innocent, legitimate and peaceful protest of our children was allowed to be hijacked. It is said that the unfortunate poor management of the #EndSARS protest has led to the incidence of the night of Tuesday, October 20, 2020, in Lekki, which resulted in the attack of innocent protesters.
Meanwhile, the long silence of the president over the issue has been worrisome. Information gathered earlier today from NAN revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over the meeting of the National Security Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
NAN reliably learned that the meeting would deliberate on the aftermath of the #EndSARS demonstrations and other security challenges facing the country. But up to the time of filing in this report, no relevant information regards the meeting was reached.
What had been your thoughts regarding the president’s silence over the ongoing protest and also the killings which have long received international condemnation?

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