#EndSARS Judicial Panels: 28 states have completed assignment—Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says all 28 states that established Judicial Panels on EndSARS have completed their assignments, except Lagos State’s panel which will be ready by October.

NEC had at the wake of EndSARs protests of 2020, directed states to constitute Judicial Panels of Inquiry to investigate complaints against the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) and other police units.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Thursday, said the vice president presided over a virtual meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) anchored from the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The vice president said that eight states had turned in their reports as the council looked forward to discussing them in full at its next meeting when all the states would have made their submissions.

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“Already eight states: Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, and Rivers, have submitted reports of their respective panels, while Lagos State has also submitted an interim report,’’ he said.

Mrs. Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, made a presentation to NEC on At-Risk Children (& Youth) Programme.

The memo was to acquaint the council of the mission of the program.

She said the program was to ensure the integration of at-risk children and young adults by creating opportunities for skills and empowerment to reduce their vulnerabilities.

The council also received a memo from Prof. Mohammed Haruna, the Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

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Following President Muhamadu Buhari’s approval of the implementation of remittance of one percent of the federation account as contained in the establishment Act as NASENI Statutory fund, NEC also endorsed.

The council also received the Progress Report of the NEC Adhoc Committee Interfacing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, on behalf of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, informed the council about the new vaccination drive which moved on further to seven states by Aug. 25.

“By the end of Sept., Federal Government will get a reasonable amount of vaccine doses.

“The ad-hoc committee interfacing with the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 is to work hand in hand with the staff of National Primary Health Care in administering the vaccine.

“In Lagos, the number of Covid-19 cases rose last week; as at yesterday positivity rate rose from 10 to 10 .5 percent.

“ States should ensure that mandatory isolation is observed; there is an increase in the usage of oxygen,’’ Sanwo-Olu said.

He said that the Delta variant had remained the dominant variant in the country recently and was present in eight states.(NAN)