*Reviews curfew, says 60 percent of appointees will be below 40

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has declared that election losers are behind violent protest in some parts of the State in the pretext of #EndSARS campaign aganst police brutality.

He said this on Thursday during a meeting with leaders of Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) and other Stakeholders in the State towards finding a lasting solution to police brutality and suggestions for police reform.

Obaseki, vowed to tame the merchants of evil hide under the cover of the godfathers who have deployed their infantry better known as lions and tigers to cause mayhem in the State.

He revealed that he is in support of peaceful and legitimate protest, but, he is against a political renegade, the outlawed Edo Peoples Movement who lost the September 19, 2020 Governorship election that are seeking power through the backdoor by making the State unstable.

Obaseki reinstated that “A lot of this Criminals hide under the cover of the godfathers. They call them their infantry; They call them their lions and tigers. And you know that without law and order, there cannot be any economic growth. Nobody will invest.

“And you could see them in the past few days that they have come out, pouncing on peoples private properties. That is the mentality. The reason is that the crisis in Edo is not an End SARS one. It is not an End SARS one because Government support End SARS. The crisis in Edo is political. This is an extension of an election.

“We defeated them and they are looking for a backdoor way of making the State unstable. I know that just as we defeated them in the election, and as long as we have you, will continue to tame them. They have escaped from the zoo we have kept them under the guise of End SARS. With my End SARS army, we are going to gather them out them back in the zoo they belong.

“You have taught us the process of ending godfatherism in the past in our lives and politics. We must now take it to the next level. There cannot be any sacred cows”, he said.

The Governor also stepped down of the indefinite curfew which he imposed on the State on Monday in response to the attacks on some public and private facilities in the State by hoodlums.

He explained that the curfew would be relaxed between 4p.m daily from Friday October 23, through 6.am on Saturday, adding that the curfew will be received after 72 hours if the security situation in the State stabilises.

According to him, 60 percent of political appointees in the next cabinet will be youths who are less than 40 years ago while the 900 Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) outfit in the State currently undergoing paramilitary training at the Nigeria police Ogida Barracks in Egor Local Government Area of the State in addition to the recruitment of 1,100 persons that will be recruited towards complementing the conventional security personnel in the State. Accordingly, 20 of the PUWOV personnel will be assigned to Ward in the State.

In their separate remarks, the State Chairman of National Youth Council (NYC), Mr. Obasuyi Osahon, the State Chairman, Youth wing of Christian Association (CAN), Reverend Phil Arojie, and Mr. Abraham Oviawe, demanded justice for victims of police brutality and cautioned parents to constantly keep their Children and Ward in check in the days ahead.

They also commended the Government for appointing young Nigerians on his cabinet during his first tenure and sued for its sustenance.

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