Defence Minister cautions the public against recording security personnel on coronavirus duty
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has advised the public to desist from taking videos of security personnel enforcing coronavirus restrictions.
Reacting to complain of security personnel abusing citizens in a viral video circulating on social media, the minister insisted it was wrong for security officers to abuse citizens, but also condemned the act of recording security officers, while they discharge their duties.
He insisted some of the videos were old videos being circulated by some propagandist to push their own agenda.
He was, however, quick to add that the military hierarchy would take on the ones that were verified to be true.
“Some of the videos are old videos from 2018, however, the squats video with the young lady has been taken on by the GAF, the officer is being dealt with,” he assured in an interview on Citi News.
The Defence Minister, however, advised security officers not to abuse citizens who flout the lockdown directives by the President.
The Minister admitted the country was not in normal times, but that did not warrant any security officer the right to abuse citizens.
“They are not to assault anybody, but to generally assist the police in ensuring that people adhere to the lockdown directive,” he said.
However, he advised the citizenry to desist from provoking the law enforcers by adhering strictly to the directives given by the President on the partial lockdown because of the rapid spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.
We need to control the security officers for their unfair attitude to the public because none is criminal
Mr Minister, technology has made recordings very easy nowadays, so let’s just accept the fact that it can not be stopped. Moreover, it acts as a form of control system over our leaders and men in action to stop this virus spreading. People will flout the law and they must be checked and punished without being abused. The checkers must be watched so they don’t abuse the undisciplined persons. So the recording must be allowed where abuse is suspected. How else would you have had evidence on the squats abuses? Saying some are old videos from propagandists can not be overlooked but that’s why you do screening of whatever pictures and videos you receive.
Having said all these, I am of the opinion that lots of people are violating the President’s directives and must be dealt with severely. People must be arrested for just coming out for nothing. If the media had broadcast the arrests and locking of people for just coming out to the streets for nothing, people would then know and believe that the government is not joking with its directives.
My final statement: Law enforcement agencies should and must use force to enforce the directives, else most of us will die. Rounding people up by force is not an abuse.
To video an incident or a situation against the law?
Honorable Minister pls quote the law to us
Excuse me Sir, what do you mean by strictly adhering to the President’s instructions. If till date you are unable to determine that all the abuses are due to the ambiguity in the President’s instruction then you are not worthy of the post you occupy. President says people can go the Bank, market or buy essential stuff yet people doing these are been abused. Well, who is to blamed, these same underprivileged who keeps joining long queues to vote. I am completely done with that. Nonsense.