End SARS: Enugu panel protests unpaid allowances, suspends sittings

There was disquiet on Monday at the sitting of the Enugu EndSARS Panel on Police brutality and extrajudicial killing as the members protested the non-payment of allowances by the state government.

The PUNCH gathered that each member of the panel sitting at the Enugu High Court Complex were to be paid N500,000 monthly as allowance. They were paid for the month of November after their inauguration.

A source in the panel disclosed to our correspondent on Monday that after the initial payment, the state government did not pay the panel for the month of December and January.

The source said, “We wrote to the governor through the Attorney General of the state over the non-payment of our allowances for two months.

“On Friday, January 29, 2021, the state government paid N277,600 to the accounts of the members, and when we enquired we were told that the money was for the months of December and January allowances, respectively.

“That’s why we did not sit today to protest against the ill-treatment.”

The source, however, told our correspondent that members on Monday resolved to meet the Attorney General to resolve the issue.

The secretary of the Panel, Mr. Obuna Onochiengwu, when contacted could not deny nor affirm the protest.

When contacted, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Chidi Aroh, said that he would not react until our correspondent disclosed his source, adding, “Our government is a serious government and we don’t respond to sources.”