#ENDSARS: Protesters turn down Senate spokesman

# ENDSARS protesters on Thursday turned down Spokespersons of the Senate who had come out of plenary to receive their petitions and address them on behalf of the National Assembly leadership.

The protesters had returned to the street of Abuja on the seventh day of a nationwide protest to make a demand for good governance and end to molestation of Nigerian youths by security operatives across the country.

Senator Basiru Surajudeen, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity was in the company of the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, Sen. Haliru Jika when he came out to receive the #Endsars protesters.

Basiru had told them: “I have the authority of the President of the Senate to Address you.

The protesters responded booing the Spokesman in a chant saying “we do not know you, who are you.”

He repeated himself and said if they are not listening he will leave. The protesters responded with a louder boo.

Convinced that the protesters are not giving him listening ears, he returned to the Senate but addressed some journalists on his way back.

Surajudeen said they are not coordinated however he will address them through the media.

He said the call for the #EndSARS has been achieved and the Senate can only engage a people who are ready to talk and cannot talk with people who are engaged in a shouting match.”

The youth-protesters took off at about 10:25 Thursday morning from the Unity Fountain in Abuja to the National Assembly Complex where the spent about one hour thirty minutes demanding for good governance that will enable aspirations of the Nigerian irrespective of their political, religious or ethnic leaning.

One of the protesters Tracy Okoro said the protest will continue until the federal government carries out genuine reforms that can be felt by the people.

She said the uniqueness of the protest is that it is not centred around one man but around the people who are citizens that have been ignored for too long especially when the nation has what it takes to make the country and governance people-centred and more inclusive.

She said the movement will ensure that all damaged vehicles in the course of the protest are repaired but that will be at the end of the process because doing o now will derail the focus of the public outcry against injustices, molestation and police brutality on citizens over mere assumptions that are not verifiable.

She maintained that the protesters have no leaders and do not intend to have any because the experience of a similar movements in the past ended by mere arrest and compromise of these persons that stood as leading figures of the demand for the end to police brutality and bad governance.

“We are only saying, come and stay with us. Come on cry with us because you’re suffering the same thing. Is it because we are not your children? I’m seeing the children of our leaders. They’re not doing anything. They’re not saying anything. They’re only on social media adding the hashtag, but they forget that 2023 is coming.

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“They might not be in power again. And if this happens to them, who will speak for them? So we’re here we’re speaking for our children. Well speaking for our fathers our mothers I was saying we’re not going to live.

“We’re not going to disrupt anything. No, we came prepared for a peaceful protest.

Let them come out, let him come and answer us, hear our heart cries. It’s not to tell us all we had your 5 for 5 demands. We’ve heard your cries. Let me explain something. One thing is sure until there is a reform in every sector every system in this country. That won’t leave.

“We have come together in regardless of our religion regardless of our tribe. We have one blood flowing in our veins.

“We are going to stand firm, for the first time in history knowing that our voices have started to make a stand.

“We have raised enough money to take care of these things. But if we make this protest about fixing cars,
we will lose our focus . It’s not just about fixing cars – preparing food and everything. These cars will be fixed people will get back their phones, our conversation must continue because we will not lose focus.

Some of the posters displayed by the protesters read “Police reform end police brutality, police join us, this will favour you too

“We came here peacefully and we shall actualize our mission in peace.

The protesters have left the NASS gate and taken over the central business district as they March back to the Unity Fountain.

Earlier the protesters had split into two with one group at the main gate and the other taking over the back entrance into the national assembly to get the attention of the lawmakers.

_{NIGERIAN TRIBUNE}