Okowa heads Delta Human Rights Protection Committee

Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has inaugurated a committee for the protection of the human rights of citizens in the state.

Inaugurating the committee at Government House, Asaba, Wednesday, Governor Okowa called on citizens of the state and the country at large to be law-abiding in all they do.

The committee which is headed by the state Governor has the State  Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Isaiah Bozimo,  Commissioner for Youths Development, Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyenga; Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe Esq; Representative of Delta State of Commissioner of Police as members.

Other members of the Committee were representative of the Youths, Mr Harrison Gwamnishu, representative of Civil Societies Organisations, Comrade Israel Joe; representative of Nigeria Bar Association, Dr Jonathan Ekpenisi; representative of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr Alpheus Ngwu while Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Political and Security Matters, Mr Theophilus Aguonye will serve as Secretary.

Governor Okowa said the idea of the committee came with the recommendations by the Judicial Panel of Enquiry set up to investigate complaints of police brutality and extra-judicial killings.

He recalled at the National Economic Council meeting headed by the Vice President, far-reaching decisions were taken to douse the tension that necessitated the setting-up of the judicial panel of Enquiry to look into the issues of police brutality and extra-judicial killings.

The Governor stated that Delta state would pay the compensations recommended because the State Government felt the pains that innocent victims and their families have suffered at the hands of security agents.

Senator Okowa said the state Government has communicated to the office of the Vice President decisions taken, adding that some actions would be taken at the national level while the state Government would commence implementation of sections of the report that affected it.

He appealed to Deltans to work within the ambits of the law to by being law-abiding in all they do.

He disclosed that two youths have been chosen to liaise with the government and the police on a day-to-day basis and to report cases of infringement of the rights of citizens.

Responding on behalf of members of the Committee, Commissioner for Youths, Mr Ifeanyi Egwunyenga thanked the governor for setting up the Committee and assured Deltans of the Committee’s commitment to the task of protecting their rights.

It would be recalled that youths in the country under the #EndSARS had in mid-October 2020 staged protests against police brutality and extra-judicial killings across Nigeria.