NGF promises to work with stakeholders on #EndSARS

At a special thanksgiving mass held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state governor Dr Kayode Fayemi spoke on behalf of governors yesterday.

The event was part of activities to mark the second anniversary of his administration in office.

However, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), took the opportunity to address some pressing issues.

He expressed concern about discontent, hunger and anger in the country, driving public angst that birthed the #EndSARS campaign and he pledged the readiness of governor’s to work with other stakeholders to find a lasting solution.

The NGF said the raging nationwide #EndSARS protest resulted from years of pent-up emotions, adding that the governors are committed to larger reform of the polity not only in the police.

He said he understood the frustration of the youth who had taken to the streets for the past one week, noting that he had used his younger years to participate in similar protests against bad governance, especially military dictatorship.

“There is a lot of anger in the land; there is a lot of hunger in the land; pent-up emotion. There is disillusion in the land. As a young man who spent much time in the barricades protesting bad governance, I can understand what is going on now.

“I and my colleagues are concerned and we are committed to reforms not just about SARS because we will be making a mistake that the general disaffection in the land is all about SARS.

“Like Your Lordship (the bishop) had said, the government should be allowed to address the problems that have cropped up,” Fayemi said.