Afrobeat singer and instrumentalist, Seun Kuti, has advised the federal government to listen to the people who voted them into political offices.
In an interview on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels TV, the singer stressed the need for the government to makes use of the EndSARS protest to build a bridge to the people. He added that the government does not only owe Nigerians police reform but other things like healthcare, education and good roads should be placed high on their agenda.
“This (EndSARS protest) is just a start. This government needs to make us a better Nigeria and not talk like its only police reform they owe us because that’s what I’m hearing. ‘Oh, we’ve given you police reform’,” Seun Kuti said.
“Now, the next thing, we want education to be high on the agenda too. We want housing, transportation, and road networks to be high on the agenda too. We want our healthcare and standard of living to be high on the agenda too.
“Don’t talk as if police brutality is not something. My family, father, grandmother have been the number 1 sufferers of police brutality in Nigeria. So we understand what’s going on.
“And there were panels for the abuses meted out on my family. There was the Oputa panel too when Obasanjo came. What became of it? They’ve done a judicial review of SARS two years ago. What came out of it?
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“It was this same government that was in charge. I can remember Obasanjo saying the Oputa panel was just advisory and he doesn’t have to implement anything it says. So there, is also an issue of distrust.
“FG shouldn’t act as if the people trust them. Bring yourself off your high horse, hear out people who voted you in, and know what’s really going on. Don’t look online, feel victimized, or think there are people out to get you.
“No, this is the people trying to talk to you. This is a chance for us to build a bridge. We’ve called for police reform, yes, but we want other things that concern us to be high on your agenda too.”