In furtherance of the resolution of an emergency meeting of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led National Economic Council (NEC) last week, the Ad-Hoc Committee set up to engage with youths, civil society organisations, and different strands of leadership across the nation in the wake of the recent protests have swung into action.
At a meeting presided over by Osinbajo on Tuesday, the committee decided to promptly embark on a two-pronged engagement process: zonal and state-based respectively.
For the state-based engagements, each of the 36 governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister would meet with the leadership and representatives of the identified groups.
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This would then be immediately followed by zonal interactions where Osinbajo and members of the committee would feature.
The engagements would not only include youth groups but also traditional, religious and political leaders. Civil society groups would also be involved as well as opinion moulders like the media.
The interactions would feature issues around employment, social safety nets and national unity and security of lives and properties, among others.
Tuesday’s meeting, which was attended virtually by all governors representing each of the six geopolitical zones in the country, also formally adopted some terms of reference.
These include: “To engage representatives of youths, cvil society organisations and others, political, religious and traditional leaders on employment and social safety net programmes among other issues;
“To engage with the security agencies and develop ways of delivering more control to governors who are the Chief Security Officers of their states;
“To recommend effective solutions to the rising divisiveness and propose ways of strengthening national unity;
“To develop a framework for the coordination of action steps to be taken by both the federal and state governments in response to the fundamental issues underlying the #EndSARS protests.
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“To co-opt and or invite any individual or corporate body that may facilitate the work of the committee; and
“Report to council with such recommendations as may be considered appropriate.”
It would be recalled that last Thursday after more than four hours of deliberations at NEC emergency meeting, it was resolved that the deeper reasons behind the #EndSARS protests and its fallout should be addressed by both the federal and state governments.
Members of NEC Adhoc Committee on Public Engagements all of whom attended today’s meeting are: Osinbajo – Chairman; Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State representing North-west; Babagana Zulum of Borno State representing North-east; Abubakar Bello of Niger State representing North-central; Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State representing South-west; Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State representing South-east; and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State representing South-south.
Idowu Sowunmi
