#EndSARS: Rebuild vandalised properties in Lagos, Calabar – Senate tells FG

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Senate has called on the Federal Government, to as a matter of urgency, reconstruct and rebuild infrastructure destroyed by hoodlums during the #EndSARS protest in Lagos and Calabar.
The upper chamber gave the charge during plenary on Tuesday, following consideration of two separate motions brought to the floor by Senators Biodun Olujimi (PDP – Ekiti South); and Gershom Bassey (PDP – Cross River South).
Coming under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Olujimi noted that the #EndSARS protest, began on October 3, 2020, and assumed a global dimension following the alleged shooting of a young Nigerian in Ughelli, Delta State.
According to the lawmaker, the peaceful protest turned violent as a result of its hijack by hoodlums and the intervention of the military which allegedly led to the death of protesters at the lekki toll gate.
She said “Aware that 7 October, 2020 was the start of a 14-day protest in Lagos that eventually turned violent and hijacked by hoodlums;
“Further aware that at about 6:45pm on Tuesday 20 October, 2020, several media accounts revealed that peaceful protesters were allegedly shot at by the Nigerian military at the Lekki toll gate;
“Concerned that the alleged shooting of protesters further infuriated protesters and tension flared with consequent violent protester and the beginning of wanton looting and destroying of public and private assets across the country and particularly Lagos, the epicenter of the protests;
“Worried that private and public assets destroyed by hideouts in Lagos was estimated to be in the region of over N1 trillion naira by the Governor of Lagos State – Babajide Sanwo-Olu;
Consequently, the Senate called on the Federal Government to setup a visitation panel to assess the level of destruction of public and private assets in Lagos state.
The Upper Chamber in its resolutions also urged the the Federal Government to commit to assisting Lagos State in rebuilding it after the wanton destruction of lives and properties by giving 1 percent of Value Added Tax collection to Lagos State.
It also mandated the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Affairs to monitor compliance.