United Nations’ Ambassador for Peace and Social Justice, Hussaini Coomassie has apologized for his comments on how to address the #EndSARS protest across the country.
On October 17, Coomassie advised President Buhari to tackle Nigerians who are protesting against police brutality with force, as many have taken over major highways and streets in the country.
He blamed Buhari for taking things lightly with protesters, pointing out that former President Olusegun Obasanjo would never have allowed such protests.
Coomassie, who was also Buhari’s campaign organizer for the North, told the President to deploy the military against the protesters, stressing;
Vladmir Putin says you should take necessary actions against irregularities not due process. There are certain times due process doesn’t work but necessary process. So in whichever way your country will be in peace, handle it. If the police fail to do what it is suppose to do, bring the military. If it fails, we the patriotic citizens will go against the miscreants, we will face them. Let there be an end to all these nonsense. Then with that, we can be able to achieve our goal.
United Nations: United Nations should remove Hussain Coomassie UN ambassador for peace and social justice – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/9iQUKz0ngB via @Change pic.twitter.com/pkhog9mdHg
— #EndSARS (@Alaaga_01) October 20, 2020
The Ambassador has now tendered an apology days after being called out by many Nigerians and a online petition calling for his removal as UN envoy was created.
The petition to UN and UN secretary-general, Ban-Ki Moon reads;
It is with great sadness and concern that a supposedly United Nations ambassador for peace and social justice is inciting a violent conduct by the Nigerian government on peaceful protesters demanding an end to police brutality and impunity in Nigeria.
Hussain Coomassie comments inciting the violence are well documented in a video that circulated on social media today the 17th of October, 2020. We hope the United Nations will take note of it and appropriate measure taken because we believe that as an ambassador of peace, he should be an advocate of peaceful resolution to the ongoing protest and not incite violence on the protesters.
Please kindly sign this and share with your family and friends to do same. I am a firm believer of a greater Nigeria, if we remain united and focused.
The petition since its creation on October 17 has garnered 24,589 signatures, as at the time of filing this report, with a target of 25,000 signatures.
Coomassie in his apology video affirmed that he has a right to his opinion as a Nigerian, but expressed that he is sorry for his comment on the issue.
He expressed;
Good evening teeming Nigerian youths out there on the streets day and night protesting for the end of SARS or police brutality. As a Nigerian, like any other Nigerian, I have a right to air my view. It may suit some people and it may hurt some people but in whichever way you take it, I am deeply sorry for the utterances I made in that video. Please accept my sincere apology. I endorse you fully and wholeheartedly.
Watch his apology video below;
Ori e ti wa online!! He is calmly eating ‘Humble Pie’ Mscheeeeew.plc Ambassador Soro Soke Joor!! #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigera #ThereIsACountryCalledNigeria pic.twitter.com/WGb6e5eSb3
— Music ‘N’ Cyclopedia 🎶 (@Schullzz66) October 19, 2020
