Until white paper is issued, state police, others not approved – Presidency

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Presidency has said until a white paper is produced on the recommendations of the 2804 page-report from the Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) headed by Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), approval has not been given for establishment of state and local government police.

Buhari had during the submission of the report said: “I want to thank the panel once more, and hereby direct that since the recommendations of the commission that constituted the panel are enforceable as decisions of the court, that the Inspector General of Police and the Solicitor General of the Federation/Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice meet with the Commission to work out the modalities for the implementation of the Report within 3 months from today.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement said Buhari requested that the report be studied and a white paper produced within three months.

“President Buhari’s specific directive is that a three-man panel be set up to produce the white paper.

“The report of the white paper committee will form the basis of the decisions of the government on the many recommendations, including the setting up of state and local government police made by the Ojukwu panel.

“Until a white paper is produced, it will be premature and pre-emptive to suggest that the recommendations contained in the report have been approved by the president in part or whole.”