#EndSARS: Ogun Monarch Backs Protest, Clamours Better Welfare Package For Policemen

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
Traditional ruler in Ogun State, Olu of Owode-Egba, Oba Kolawole Aremu Sowemimo has thrown his support for the ongoing protest against operations of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the country.
The monarch stressed that it was enough time for adequate and proper reformation of the entire Nigeria Police Force to meet the international best practice.
Oba Sowemimo stated this during an interactive session with journalists in his palace at Owode town, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, adding that bad eggs within the force were notorious of feeding fat on the innocent citizens and this must now be a thing of the past.
The monarch said: “First of all, I will say, there is nothing bad in making a protest, there is nothing bad in letting people know how you feel, but we should do it in a matured and in a peaceful way. 
“To me, I will say this, I am going to explain better, the police should stop feeding on Nigeria citizens.”
Furthermore, the royal father remarked that one of the solutions of reformatory stage of the police is for the Federal Government to adjust the welfare package of the officers and men that could make life meaningful for them
“I will explain better, the most important thing is for the Federal Government or whoever that is in charge of the police to just do a best police reform. The federal government has to increase their salaries, give them a better salary, provide housing and enabling good working condition.
“With all that, there will be no excuse for them to be extorting people, to be taking money from people, to be killing innocent Nigerians, to be harassing people on the streets.
“Government needs to take care of the police, we respect them, we love them, we know they are working for us but you know it’s been commercialised now, when you government failed to treat them well, they will beg for money, they will beg for something.
“Police officers will buy uniform for himself, will buy boots for himself, innocent Nigerians will be building police stations for them. When there is problem in police stations, innocent Nigerians will go there and buy them TVs, buy them fans, when their roof is leaking, Nigerian communities will be the one doing it for them, what are we talking about.
“Government needs to take care of them. All over the world, police is being given priority everywhere in the whole nation, give them good housing, good cars, equipments, let them be happy, so that all these stories today, SARS today, SARS do this, SARS do that, will end.”