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State Police: It Is Northern Vs Southern Govs by blesszzy(m): 5:24am On Sep 02, 2012 |
SINCE the thirty-six state governors came together and formed a group known as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and inaugurated it in April 1999, they have been very strong and spoke vehemently with one voice on national issues. The group, modelled after the National Governors’ Association (NGA) of the United States of America, was designed to bring the governors together and share experiences, promote cooperation among states, serve as a mechanism for conflict resolution as well as an agent for dispute resolution between states and the Federal Government. From its first meeting organised by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the governors spoke in unison once an issue was brought before them. Disagreements could occur during brainstorming sessions, but once there was an agreement reached, no governor or group of governors would kick against the agreement. The NGF, which was registered under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, (CAMA), 1990, draws its legality from Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Since inception, the Forum has produced five Chairmen from Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Governor of Nasarawa State-1999 – 2004; Arc. (Obong) Victor Attah, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State,2004 – 2006; Mr. Lucky Igbinedion, Former Governor of Edo State, 2006 – 2007; Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Former Governor of Kwara State,2007 – 2011 and the incumbent, the governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who took over on May 29, 2011. Abiola Ajimobi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun With its interventionist roles, what obtained then was that the fear of the governors was the beginning of wisdom. The forum became the beginning and last resort in the decision making by the president, party chairmen and leaders of the party. The NGF, at the party level, determined who became the National Chairman especially that of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Whenever there were threats by the National Assembly to impeach the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, the forum reared its head and stood resolutely against the move on the premise that it would impact negatively on the country’s democracy. Also during the revenue allocation case against the Federal Government at the Supreme Court, the NGF vociferously pursued its position and the states won, just as the body was there to help avert strikes that would have crippled the economy during the deregulation and liberalisation of the oil sector. At the political level, whenever it was time to decide who became the president of Nigeria, the governors were there through the NGF and they always had their ways. The forum was there for its former colleague, the then governor of Katsina State, the late Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua for president and then Governor Goodluck Jonathan of Bayelsa State for the vice presidency and they won. All these undoubtedly brought the governors together, but the events of the last couple of weeks have triggered the question, are they still together? The answer is no. This comes against the backdrop that the northern governors are manoeuvring to whittle down the efficiency of the NGF on the issue of the state police. The governors, under their chairman, Amaechi, are pushing for a constitutional amendment for state police. The NGF, had, at the end of its meeting held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, June 25, called for the establishment of state police. Present at the meeting was the Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum and governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu. Also in attendance were Amaechi and his counterparts from Borno; Enugu; Sokoto; Delta; Taraba; Ekiti; Oyo; Kwara; Plateau; Zamfara; Kogi; Nasarawa; Kaduna; Abia, and Anambra. The deputy governors of Ondo, Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos were equally there. In a communiqué signed by, the NGF chairman, Amaechi at the end of the meeting, the governors noted that state police was a strategy for combating the rising insecurity in the country. The communiqué read, ‘’We, the governors of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at our meeting, deliberated over a number of issues. The following resolutions were reached: ‘’Forum strongly condemned the current spate of insecurity and violence which has been drifting the nation towards anarchy and called for a multi-dimensional approach to security issues including enhanced coordination and collaboration among security forces, effective use of technology and intelligence, value re-orientation, employment generation and sincerity of purpose. ‘’Forum reiterated its commitment to convene a Governors’ Forum Conference on Security in Nigeria. State governments are currently overstretched in funding security and called for a special intervention fund from the Federal Government, especially to the states that are most affected. ‘’Finally, the forum identified the increasing need for state police as a strategy for combating the rising insecurity in the country.” Things started falling apart for the united NGF when the northern governors came up with another decision jettisoning the already agreed position on state police, thirty-three days after such a meeting took place and a communiqué issued. The northern governors, who had agreed on 25 June on state police, suddenly made a u-turn to the chagrin of others that the country was not ripe for state police and that the present structure of central police should remain. The nineteen northern state governors, after their meeting held at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, July 27, unanimously kicked against the move for the establishment of state police. In a communiqué signed on behalf of the governors from the north by their Chairman, Aliyu, they noted that rather than have in place state police, the Constitution must be amended to allow for state governors to control commissioners of police in their respective states. The communiqué read in part, ‘’The Forum is not in support of creation of state police. It, however, resolved to prevail on the Federal Government to embark on police reform that will assist the states in control and management of police affairs, and sound philosophy of modern policing by amending the provision of Section 215.” The Section reads ‘’Subject to the provision of this section, the governor of a state or such commissioner of the government of the state as he may authorize may give to the Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, a Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.” The meeting was attended by 18 of the 19 governors from the North. At the penultimate Wednesday’s meeting of the NGF, the issue was not mentioned for the fear of causing crisis between the northern governors and their southern counterparts. The meeting, which took place at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, was sparingly attended. Even Aliyu, the northern governors leader, who was believed to be in Abuja, stayed away from the parley. The meeting had in attendance ten governors with only four from the North, eight deputies with only two from the North, and came to end without the usual media briefing by the NGF Chairman and governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi. Present at the meeting were governors of Rivers; Ekiti; Ondo; Ebonyi; Kaduna; Sokoto; Akwa Ibom; Kogi and Kano while the deputy- governors were those of Abia; Delta; Adamawa; Bayelsa; Nasarawa; Imo; Oyo and Lagos. With the disagreement in the family of the NGF, the questions are legion. Are the governors still together? Can they still fight in unison? How will the Amaechi-led NGF harmonize the positions of the governors on the matter of state police? Will the northern governors shift ground. ? Why did they accept to have state police, only to make a u-turn thirty-three days after? Was it that they never carried out wider consultations among their people? Is there crack in the house of Amaechi? It is hoped that the issue of state police will not becloud the governors where, at the end of the day, there would no meaningful contributions from them on the ongoing constitutional amendment by the National Assembly. They must not throw away the .ba.by with the bath water. |
Re: State Police: It Is Northern Vs Southern Govs by belovedaja(m): 3:39pm On Sep 02, 2012 |
They already have sharia police(hisbah) in their respective state and yet they say no to state police. DECEPTION in high places. |
Re: State Police: It Is Northern Vs Southern Govs by Callotti: 5:38pm On Sep 02, 2012 |
The North always wins. . .even when the South is in power. |
Re: State Police: It Is Northern Vs Southern Govs by Akanbiedu(m): 6:21pm On Sep 02, 2012 |
Callotti: The North always wins. . .even when the South is in power. It is not win perse. Its the sense of contentment that make it seem so. An average southerner can not be satisfied with anything even if you give him the whole Nigeria, he is going to demand for something else. So the south always look like the losing side. In the real sense of it, the south is not losing. The northern masses are the most dehumanized in Nigeria. |
Re: State Police: It Is Northern Vs Southern Govs by Nobody: 7:12pm On Sep 02, 2012 |
Callotti: The North always wins. . .even when the South is in power. yes because we have yorober in the south! thats why |
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