The Chairman of the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC), Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan has pointed out that the committee is crucial, central, and strategic to free and fair conduct of elections that will be acceptable to Nigerians.
Enitan gave the indication at the regular meeting of the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) held at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Police Affairs in Abuja.
The Chairman in a signed statement by Bolaji Kazeem, Director press and Public Relations Unit stated that once the public perceived the policeman as friend, partner, dependable and trusted ally, they would feel free and comfortable to participate and exercise their franchise during the elections.
Enitan noted that fear was palpable in some regions of the country because of vested interests, which have led to the incessant destruction of property, and sometimes harassment of the citizens and there is need to calm frayed nerves and assurance that once their rights were violated, there were available channels to seek redress and get justice.
“When there is a channel through which you can make your grievances known and obtain justice, citizens can go out there to do whatever they want to do within the limit of the law. If they were molested by men in uniform, they have the right channel to seek redress”
“The general public has a platform to lay their complaints whenever there is the need to do so and to be assured, they will get justice at the end of the day, this will diffuse tension in the country.”
He acknowledged that the committee is a critical agent of peace that will seek to fight for the downtrodden, less privileged, and vulnerable.
The Chairman further noted that the harvest of complaints will be put forward for consideration and proper handling in such a way that the aggrieved will be satisfied.
Members of the committee have therefore agreed on the visibility of the committee to the citizens and the need to partner with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Police Service Commission (PSC), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) as well as market and transport organizations to create and improve the awareness of the citizens as to the responsibility of the committee.
“Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) is an additional layer for the protection of people’s rights whenever there seems to be an infringement on these rights or abuse of power, particularly by the police personnel in the discharge of their duties.” he said.
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