ENDSARS: Ukwuani Youths Makes Demand

OBIARUKU/Nigeria: Despite the suspension of the nationwide #Endsars protests, the youths of Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State has continued their protests through demand to the federal government of Nigeria, and the various political office holders in the local government.

The group which called itself Ukwuani Endsars Protest Movement, in a communique however condemned the actions of some of the youths who had tried to carryout carrying out centrally actions outside the original demands of the organisers.

The group in the statement, however reminded the government to fulfil all the demands of the youths, as bad policies of government, corruption, and lack of good leadership had taken more lives of Nigerians.

The statement further called on politicians in the local government to engage the youths and other citizens to carve a better future for the people of Ukwuani.

The Full Statement:

On Our Cardinal Demands We Stand:

Being A Communique Of The Ukwuani Endsars Protest Movement

The Ukwuani ENDSARS protest movement has frowned at attempts by very unpatriotic elements to sow seeds of discord within our ranks in order to demobilize the youths who like their counterparts are resolved to demand an end not just to the viciousness and brutal killings of our youths by the Police Special Anti-Robbery Unit (SARS) but are unequivocal in affirming their demands for a systemic change. Thus the youths of Ukwuani are not oblivious of the trickle-down effect of the large scale corruption of our leaders, the political ineptitude of our representatives at all levels who rather than midwife safe delivery of development in our communities live in high towers and mansions in cities, send their children to privileged schools and live in homes abroad while we the people they represent beg for handouts, and jobs that never come, and after all they will tell you graduates are unemployable — who made it so?

We restate that it is very true that the Nigerian police have brutalized our people with bullets paid for with tax payers’ money, but the most gruesome deaths and countless number of people have died more as a result of bad policies, corruption of our leaders, de-development and non-existent change for the better in infrastructural growth index. It is rather unfortunate that no Nigerian who have escaped the bullets of SARS have been able to escape the “bullets” of these years of misgovernance.

It is therefore our cardinal wishes to state:

1. That the President’s actions in recent times have portrayed him as an enemy of our democracy, especially with his refusal to pursue a genuine restructuring of the nation as promised by his political party in 2014. This is no longer a surprising phenomenon but what beats our imagination is the inability of the leaders of the president’s political party the APC to get him to commit to the democratic ideals which he has campaigned with and got sworn-in twice as the number one citizen of the country. This is indeed a major reason for the ENDSARS movement in Ukwuani land.
2. That the judicial panel of inquiry as being constituted across some states of the federation with a view to compensating families of the dead and injured must not be another political gimmick embarked on to buy time for the government to take the protesters off the street but must be a genuine reconciliatory efforts towards bringing disclosure to families and persons who have suffered unjust police brutality in this country and also the ills of bad governance occasioned by the evils of years of bad leadership.
3. That for true healing and reconciliation to take place in the land and in the country as a whole, the only genuine compensation for every Nigerian will be a change of guard from the decades of bad governance often  celebrated by our politicians and their sponsored cronies at all levels.
4. That we demand an end to the jumbo pay of political office holders at all levels, starting with an immediate 70% reduction in their salaries and emoluments, as this will ensure that they give their best of representation and the judicious utilization of scarce resources in the country for the betterment of the majority.
5. That all Ukwuani political representatives at all levels should as a matter of urgency must liaise with our people with a view to addressing the poor leadership challenges that have become the bane of progress and development of our people for a long time now. They must show our youths their scorecards and engage our people now and ensure adequate representation and the attraction of visible dividends of democracy or be prepared to meet our stiff opposition in the nearest future.
6. That we condemn in strong terms wanton killings and destruction of public and private properties by retrogressive elements in some cities during this ongoing peaceful protest in the country and urge the government to live up to her responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of her citizenry.
7. That as a matter of urgency, we demand the immediate commencement of a full and comprehensive reform of the Nigerian Police force with a view to ensuring that the force is positioned to serve Nigerians within the best acceptable global standards of modern policing.
8. That we condemn in the strongest terms every anti-revolutionary ‘incentives’ given at this time by any politician to our youths to further sabotage our revolutionary might and keep us in perpetual limbo.
9. We therefore call on all Ukwuani youths to bid retreat from the streets as we await concrete actions by Government and our representatives at all levels to these critical demands bearing in mind that to retreat is not to surrender.

We remain resolute in this just struggle.

Aluta Continua!!!

Signed:

Ukwuani Youths.

Date: Sunday, 25th October, 2020