AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PRINCE CLEM IKANADE AGBA,THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF STATE BUDGET AND NATIONAL PLANNING AT THE CITIZENS-POLICE DIALOGUE HELD AT NEW CHELSEA HOTEL, ABUJA, ON THURSDAY, 20TH MAY, 2021
This has been a week of dialogue, exchange of ideas and commitment to continue to pursue the ideals of the Open Government Partnership principles. So on behalf of the Nigeria Open Government Partnership National Steering Committee and Secretariat, I want to welcome you to this very important dialogue between citizens and the Police. I want to especially welcome the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission to this dialogue as well as our Civil Society partners and citizens gathered in this room today. This dialogue is a confirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to implement open government ideals and willingness to sustain his resolve to improve relations between citizens and the police.
The Open Government Week is a week set aside globally for open government doers, leaders, and thinkers from around the world come together to share ideas, discuss solutions, and commit to new levels of citizen participation in government. Since 2018, one week in May is set aside for sharing ideas, learning lessons, taking stock, and recommitting ourselves to improving services rendered to citizens.
This year’s Open Gov Week theme focuses on how we renew or rebuild governments, institutions and societies that are transparent, accountable, participatory, and inclusive. The Nigeria Open Government Partnership National Steering Committee has decided to focus on two critical areas of our National Action Plan – Beneficial Ownership Transparency and Civic Space. On Beneficial Ownership Transparency, we had a media presentation of Nigeria’s Road to Beneficial Ownership Transparency and here today, we are having this dialogue on rebuilding trust between the police and citizens through this Citizens- Police Dialogue.
Early last year, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the implementation of Nigeria’s second National Action Plan which made extensive commitments around citizens’ engagement in governance. As soon as we began implementation of this plan that was co-created by government and citizens groups, the COVID-19 pandemic broke, halting all activities globally and within this period, Nigeria experienced the #EndSARS Protests which was a result of citizens reacting to police brutality.
Globally, the OGP community took into cognizance the devastating effect of the pandemic on economies and allowed member countries to extend the implementation period of existing action plans as well as revise existing commitments to reflect governments’ responses to issues necessitated by the pandemic and other current issues.
The National Steering Committee jumped on this opportunity and approved the extension of the implementation period of Nigeria’s second National Action Plan by one year, also allowing for stakeholders to review existing commitments with a view to revising these commitments to reflect government’s responses to COVID-19, the #EndSARS Protests and other governance issues. After extensive consultation, stakeholders approved inclusion of activities around government response to the COVID-19 and the #EndSARS protests. For the purpose of our gathering here today, I will now focus on issues related to the #EndSARS protest and government’s response.
You will recall that in the thick of the protest, the government responded swiftly to the demands of the protesters by immediately disbanding the unit, committing to reforming the police and rebuilding trust between the police and the citizens they serve.
The wanton destruction of public properties and police stations; and loss of lives arising from the protests were condemnable acts that were capable of worsening the situation in a country already reeling from the impact of the pandemic. So, it was important to go beyond meeting the demands of the protesters, to rebuilding trust in a sustainable manner.
To do this, the government collaborated with its civil society partners and revised the second National Action Plan to include the following activities:
⦁ Pass the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Police Service Commission Act and Enact the Police Service Commission Bill, 2020.
⦁ Police Service Commission (PSC), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and their Non-State Actors partners to hold a quarterly zonal ‘Citizen-Police Dialogue’.
⦁ Joint PSC/CSO led quarterly select police station visitation to ascertain the condition of the station, adherence to Standard Operating Procedure and conditions of suspects held in the station.
The aim of changing the law setting up the Police Service Commission was to improve on their powers, operations, and ability to carry out oversight supervision of the police.
Stakeholders recognised the breakdown of trust between the police and citizens which is worsened by the lack of opportunity to dialogue and interact with each other. They agreed that a town hall style interactive session between the citizens and the police will provide an opportunity for the process of rebuilding mutual healing and respect.
They also recognised that there was a need to improve the condition of the police station by giving citizens an opportunity to inspect the conditions of the stations and make recommendations to the government on improving the welfare of police officers and conditions of the stations.
It is for this reason that we gather here today to launch this dialogue series which will then be held in the 6 geo-political zones. I would like to make the following appeal as this dialogue moves across the country:
⦁ We must keep in mind that we are here to repair the damaged relationship between the police and citizens, not to trade blames or point fingers.
⦁ This dialogue should remain focused on how trust can be rebuilt. The Judicial Panel of Enquiry set up at the state levels is already investigating the allegations against the defunct SARS.
⦁ We must be cordial and respectful of each other even when we disagree. We must be open to new ideas and fresh approaches that allow all to freely express themselves.
⦁ We must remain forward looking by making suggestions and recommendations on how to build the police force of our dream.
The Police rely on intelligence often supplied by citizens who reside in the community to function effectively. For the public to provide this intelligence, they must trust the police. So rebuilding trust will make every one of us safe.
On our part, we will work with the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Service Commission, and the National Orientation Agency on the possibility of collaborating to host this dialogue in other parts of the country. I call on every Nigerian to actively join this process of rebuilding trust and building back a better Nigeria Police Force that works for us.
I wish us all a successful dialogue.
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