The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo SAN, on Sunday covertly disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari on the setting up of judicial panel of inquiry to investigate allegations and petitions of police brutality and extra-judicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police. The Presidency had after the Lagos Panel report submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the subsequent appointment of a committee to draft a White Paper on the report of the findings of the panel, emphasized that those issues concerning the federal government will be considered when the White Paper is released by the committee set up by the governor.
President Buhari had earlier assured Blinke, the US Secretary of State, during his visit to the President at the State House, Abuja, that the federal government is waiting for the White Paper of the committee appointed by the state government, noting that the federal government cannot act for the states. The president also said that the federal government is also waiting for the reports of the panels from other states, before considering appropriate actions as demanded by the US government.
Keyamo, in an interaction with Channels Television on Sunday, while indicating that he will not respond as a Minister but as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to the Lagos judicial panel, declared that the investigation panel is illegal.
Accursing to Keyamo: “I will not answer this question as a sitting minister.
“I will answer this question as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and so, I am entitled to my own opinion. This is not the Federal Government’s position.
“For me, that panel was an illegal panel.”
Keyamo may have also faulted the National Economic Council (NEC) which encouraged states to set up panels of investigations on #EndSARS incidence in the country. Moreso, the report of the panel that the junior Labour Minister declared illegal has been subtly accepted by the President, whose Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, last week said the Presidency is waiting for the White Paper and will consider those issues concerning the federal government.
Meanwhile, the time frame of the Lagos committee on the White Paper to submit its recommendation for gazette ends this week. The recommendations are expected to be transmitted to the National Economic Council (NEC) for deliberations, endorsement and appropriate actions.
A renowned legal practitioner, Femi Falana SAN, had last week asserted that the setting up of judicial panel of inquiry on such issues is within the jurisdiction of state governments. Falana had in a statement cautioned the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, over his statements on the Lagos report, urging President Buhari to call Lai Mohammed to order.
While Keyamo may not be speaking in the same language of Lai Mohammed, he seems to align with the Information Minister in repudiating the Lagos Panel report.