From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The National Economic Council (NEC) is set to convene a special session to review reports of the judicial panels set up by governors to resolve issues of police brutality and related concerns across the country round up their assignments.

A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said this was  among resolutions and conclusions reached at the Council’s 117th meeting held virtually and presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with State governors, federal ministers, the Central Bank Governor and other top government officials in attendance.

The judicial panels were recommended after adoption of a resolution by NEC to address nationwide complaints of police brutality after the President dissolved the Police SARS unit. Almost all States in the Federation set up the panels including the Federal Capital Territory.

Osinbajo announced at the council meeting that a special session of NEC will soon be convened to consider all the reports that are ready from the judicial panels set up late last year to address the concerns of the Nigerian people on police brutality allegations and other related issues. That meeting would also consider the implementation of the reports including remedies, redress and compensations.

Also at the meeting, the VP inaugurated the National Road Safety Advisory Council as a demonstration of government’s continued commitment to addressing the challenges of road safety in the country. The Advisory Council is a critical aspect of the updated National Road Safety Strategy adopted by NEC and approved by the Federal Executive Council late last year.

The Road Safety Advisory Council is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi as Secretary. Other members of the 29-member Advisory Council include six governors representing the six geo-political zones,  Secretary to the Government of the Federation,  Ministers of  Transport,  Works, Health, Justice,  Education, Finance, Budget and National Planning,  Environment,  Labour and Employment, Police Affairs and Interior.

Others include Minister of State, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, National Security Adviser, President, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), President, Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigerian Society of Engineers, and Board Chairman, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).