2023: ‘President, VP, Others Must Have Masters’ – #EndSARS Activists Tender 29-Point Demand To FG

As part of conditions to leave the streets, #EndSARS protesters have asked the federal government to make it compulsory for aspirants vying for president, vice president, governor, deputy governor and National Assembly seats in the 2023 general elections to possess a minimum of bachelor and master’s degree.

The protesters are also asking the federal government to make it mandatory for ministerial candidates to possess a minimum of bachelor and master’s degree, while state assembly members and commissioners must have a minimum of bachelor degree and one professional qualification.

The above were among the protesters’ 29-point demand segmented into short-term and long-term, seen by THE WHISTLER on Tuesday.

The #EndSARS agitators said the federal government must implement the demands in part A of the five-page document instantly or before October 31, while demands in part B should be implemented not later than six months from now.

The protesters, who have continued to maintain that they were decentralized and with no particular leader, issued the demands under the aegis of ‘#Taking Back Our Country’.

In the short term, the protesters made the following 15 demands:

1. 30% increase in the salary of Police Officers from Police Recruit (Grade Level 1) to Cadet Inspector (Grade Level 7)
2. Payment of N12Million compensation to each of the families of those killed by SARS/Police
3. Judicial panel to investigate all cases of SARS/Police Brutality and recommend appropriate punishments for all erring officers.
4. Total disbandment of SARS and sacking of all officers in the SARS unit of the Nigerian Police.
5. Payment of 4 months’ salary to all the sacked but exonerated/guilt-free SARS officers.
6. Total disbandment of the newly created SWAT unit by the Nigeria Police Federal Government to foot the bill of all persons injured by SARS/Police
7. Unconditional release of all #EndSARS/#EndSWAT protesters detained by the Nigerian Police
8. Government to foot the bill of all #EndSARS/#EndSWAT protesters injured by the Nigerian Police and pay a compensation of N1Million to each of them
9. Reduction in the salary and allowances (total package) of members of the State Houses of Assembly to N400,000 per month.
10. Reduction in the salary and allowances (total package) of members of the National Assembly (both chambers) to N1Million per month.

The #EndSARS protesters also made the following 14-point demands with implementation timeline of six months:

1. Minimum educational qualification requirements for political office aspirants:
   a. President/Vice President: BSc + Masters
   b. State Governor/Deputy Governor: BSc + Masters
   c. NASS members: BSc + Masters
   d. House of Assembly members: BSc + 1 professional qualification
   e. Federal Minister: BSc + Masters
   f. State Commissioner: BSc + 1 professional qualification
   g. Local Government Chairman/Vice Chairman: BSc
   h. Councillor: BSc
2. Minimum work experience requirements for political office holders (elected and appointive):
   a. President/Vice President: 17 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   b. State Governor/Deputy Governor: 15 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   c. NASS members: 12 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   d. House of Assembly members: 10 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   e. Federal Minister/appointee: 13 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   f. State Commissioner/appointee: 10 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   g. Local Government Chairman/Vice Chairman: 8 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
   h. Councillor: 6 years’ permanent job experience (public or private sector)
3. Maximum age for an aspirant to contest political office:
   a. President/Vice President: 55 years
   b. State Governor/Deputy Governor: 50 years
   c. National Assembly: 45 years
   d. State House of Assembly: 42 years
   e. Local Government Chairman/Vice Chairman: 40 years
   f. Councillor: 35 years
4. Maximum age of political appointees (i.e. Minister, Commissioner, SA, SSA, MD/CEO, DG, Ambassadors, Board Member, Executive Chairman etc.):
   a. Federal appointee: 55 years
   b. State/LGA appointee: 50 years
5. Maximum tenure of all elective political offices: 2 terms of 4 years each
6. Federal Government’s responsibilities:
   a. Fiscal Policy and Monetary Policy and Currency Management
   b. Foreign Policy and Foreign Affairs
   c. Judiciary at all levels
   d. National Security/Defence (Army, Navy, Air force and Police)
   e. Interior services (Prisons, Immigration and NSCDC)
   f. Aviation
   g. Customs
   h. National Infrastructure (Inter-State roads, Railways)
   i. INEC/Elections
7. State Government’s responsibilities:
   a. Economy
   b. Health
   c. Education
   d. Agriculture
   e. Any and all others outside the purview of the Federal Government listed in No. 6 above.
8. Revenue Sharing Formula:
   a. Each State to control its natural resources and contribute 30% to the Federal Government
   b. Federal Government to administer and fund its responsibilities with 70% of the revenue received from the States. 10% of the received funds to be redistributed to the states with emphasis on the economically disadvantaged states while the remaining 20% will fund FG-led infrastructure and intervention projects across the 36 states and the FCT
9. Replacement of the bicameral with a unicameral legislature: A maximum of 2 elected officers/representatives from each state to sit part time at the NASS complex in Abuja.
10. Cleaning the Augean stable: All persons who have ever been elected or held office as Head of State, President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, NASS members and State House of Assembly members, Federal Ministers, State Commissioners and Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (Executive Chairman, DG, MD/CEO etc.) between 1960-2020 are banned forever from contesting any elective or holding any appointive political office in Nigeria.
11. All public office holders (elected and appointed) from the President to the Councillor and MDAs are prohibited from foreign medical trips. It is a criminal and impeachable offence with no immunity cover.
12. The children of all public office holders (elected and appointed) from the President to the Councillor at the LGA level including MDAs are prohibited from schooling overseas and in private schools in Nigeria. They are only permitted to school in government-owned educational institutions in Nigeria. It is a criminal and impeachable offence with no immunity cover.
13. A special Commission to enforce the prosecution of offenders of Nos. 11 and 12 above should be created by legislation.
14. Comprehensive assessment of the functions/relevance of all MDAs should be conducted by a professional firm appointed by the State Governors and President at their respective levels. All MDAs found surplus to requirements should be scrapped with immediate effect at all levels (Federal and State)