The Governor of Lagos State Sanwo-Olu Babajide invited EndSARS front runners in a speech on Tuesday ahead of the release of the white paper on the report #EndSARS panel which had probed the alleged Lekki shootings of October 20, 2020.
The governor said, “In December, I will be leading A WALK FOR PEACE to herald the healing of our land. Let me use this occasion to extend an open invitation to our youths, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society groups, students and the media as well as other stakeholders to join me.”
He called on the likes of Falz, Macaroni, Dele Farotimi, Temitope Majekodunmi, Segun Awosanya (Segalink), Adedotun (Just Detoun), Seun Kuti; Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu; and Commander of Rapid Response Squad CSP Yinka Egbeyemi and others to join him in the “historic march for our dear Lagos.”
Sanwo-Olu also said his government would release its White Paper on the report submitted by the EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry on November 15, 2021.
He said, “As an administration, we are determined that the next steps that will be taken in this process of coming to terms with the events of October 2020, must bring closure to a painful episode in the history of our state, with the release of the White Paper later today.”
In response to the governors’ invite, Seun Kuti blatantly refused the governor’s invite for a peace walk as part of efforts to ensure harmony in Lagos state.
According to him, he doesn’t need to walk next to the governor before there is peace in the state.
Seun Kuti further stated that the first step in bringing peace in the state is to ensure justice for all victims of police brutality and human rights abuses.
“I don’t need to walk next to the governor before there is peace in Lagos.
“The governor should walk the walk he is talking about by bringing about justice. The governor is not an embodiment of justice, Seun Kuti is not an embodiment of justice, Falz is not an embodiment of justice, Mr Macaroni is not an embodiment of justice also.”
In the same light on Tuesday, Nigerian musician and activist Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz and Debo Adebayo aka Mr Marcaroni also rejected the invite by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to join him in a peace walk scheduled to hold in December.
Mr Macaroni while speaking said “I humbly decline the Invitation of Mr Governor. The Government itself set up a panel. The panel has made recommendations. I believe that genuine peacemaking will begin by first implementing the recommendations of the panel. Then, we can begin to trust the government.
“Finally, I’m not at war with anyone. Not with the government, police or politicians. All we are asking is that our leaders place value on our lives as citizens and lead us with love, fairness, truth and justice, to enable all Nigerians to live a better life in peace and unity,” he wrote.
When speaking, on his part, Falz, described the peace walk as a “joke”, insisting that justice must be served for all victims of police brutality.
“This suggestion of a “walk for peace” sounds like a joke and a very disrespectful one at that. People were murdered in cold blood and absolutely no iota of justice has been served more than a year after. How can there be peace without justice? #EndSARS”
