17th February, 2011
The Federal Government has been advised to streamline the law enforcement agencies to come under the police thereby keying into the global trend where law enforcement is strictly the job of the Police.
Suleiman Abba, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, told the Presidential Panel investigating the stampede at Liberation Stadium while winding up its sitting today in Port Harcourt that for operational efficiency in the enforcement of law and order there should be Drug Enforcement Police, Road Traffic Police instead of Federal Road Safety Corps and others to be centralised to curtail wastage of resources and enhance operational efficiency.
He also advocated that for major operations like the visit of the President to any state government should come out with clear-cut operational guidelines and strategy for Law enforcement by various agencies.
In his closing remarks the Chairman of the Panel, Mohammed Abubakar, gave assurance to Nigerians that its findings and recommendations will not go the way of other panels whose findings and recommendations were swept under the carpet.
The Chairman,who said that the job of the panel was very arduous, revealed that 29 witnesses testified, nine exhibits, three memorandums were accepted.
He regretted that the panel was not able to see any those who sustained injuries at the hospital because of the information from the management of the various hospitals that victims who were on admission were treated and discharged.
By Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
