By The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso has reiterated the commitment of the Lagos State Government to the wellbeing and security of Lagosians.
Speaking on Lagos Television about the recent crisis in the State, the Commissioner said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu identified with the #EndSARS protests, addressed the youths and even went a step further to take their demands to the President to affirm his support for their just cause.
“He did everything to avert a crisis. He was the first Governor to address the protesters,” he said.
Emphasising that the Judicial Panel of Inquiry instituted by Mr. Governor is a focused step towards serving justice and compensating individuals who may have suffered rights abuses by SARS and their families, Omotoso said the proceedings of the panel will be transparent to heal wounds, restore peace and initiate collective efforts to rebuild Lagos.
“The panel of inquiry will be independent of the government and the video evidence will be made available to them. The cameras are still intact, there are some that cannot be easily reached because they are planted on telecom masts; the cameras that were allegedly removed were those that are used for number plate recognition,” Omotoso asserted.
The Commissioner urged Lagosians to be calm as the Police had assured all that they will carry out their duty of maintaining law and order and ensure they clamp down on hoodlums, who hijacked the peaceful protests to kill, maim and destroy.
Omotoso said, “Lagosians should not fear but go about their duties in peace as the police chief has assured all that they are ready to secure the State”.
He disclosed that his visits to some parts of the State showed that the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, in conjunction with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), had already cleaned up a lot of debris within the metropolis and the environment is looking tidy and serene.
He reminisced on the peaceful co-existence of Lagosians, stating that Lagos has been known and remains a multicultural society, where everyone is welcomed to pursue the fulfilment of their dreams, hence citizens should not allow detractors bore holes in the fabric of our society.
While maintaining that Mr. Governor and his cabinet members are disturbed and sad about the ugly incidents that have destroyed monuments and iconic sites in the Centre of Excellence, Omotoso insisted that it is the resolve of this administration to rise like the phoenix and build a better developed Lagos with a more robust economy.
“The resilience of Lagosians will make us use the incident as a stepping stone to rebuild and make the State more beautiful; the resilient spirit of Lagosians would come into play now. That is what we are known for,” the Commissioner said.
