The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently grant audience to the leadership of #EndSARS movement to deliberate on the way forward and to agree on an action plan for the delivery of agreed outcomes.
The chamber said this has become necessary given that Nigeria has lost N700 billion in the last 12 days.
“Over the past twelve days, economic activities have been crippled in most parts of the country and have been particularly profound in the urban areas. The Nigerian economy has suffered an estimated ₦700 billion loss in the past twelve days,” the chamber said in a statement signed by Toki Mabogunje, president of the LCCI.
The LCCI expressed condolences to the families of all who have lost their lives through the brutal actions of the police and all those who have suffered in one way or the other the cruel and unjust acts of the police, especially the officers of defunct SARS, appreciating the value of citizens’ engagement and the demand for accountability which the EndSARS protest represents.
It said these are in consonance with democratic norms and also form vital ingredients for good governance.
It regretted that the country has started witnessing various unintended outcomes of the protest, which are not good for the nation.
“There is a great risk that the situation may degenerate into a case of the complete breakdown of law and order which is certainly not in consonance with the objectives of the #EndSars peaceful protests,” it noted.
“It is important to avoid a situation where even more hardship is inflicted on the very citizens that the protesters are seeking to protect,” the chamber counseled.
The LCCI said the government should commit to rapid improvement in governance quality and accountability by effecting necessary institutional, policy, and regulatory reforms not only for the police but the entire public sector ecosystem.
It stressed the need for the leadership of the #EndSars to occupy the seats provided to participate in the reforms to be implemented by the government in response to their demands.
