Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has canvassed for the support of President Muhammadu Buhari towards the creation of state police as a panacea to the rising security concerns across the country.

Ekweremadu, who spoke in Abuja Thursday at the opening of a two-day conference on the implementation of autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary, blamed the rising security challenges on unitary police system prescribed by the constitution.

He noted that the best options was not to run away from decentralised policing, which ensured the security of the people and their property up to 1966, but to ensure appropriate checks in terms of recruitment, appointment of police chiefs, control, logistics, funding, among others, to guide against possible abuse by State Governors as feared by some.

According to him, the establishment of a National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to exercise a level of oversight over the activities of the state police such as maintaining common facilities for all Police Services in the country, including training, criminal intelligence data bases, forensic laboratories, among others.“The NPSC should also run a system of inspectorates and certification such as supervision of recruitment, training, supervision of standards, and annual certification of every State Police Service.

“There should also be a body known as State Police Service Commission for the states and should comprise a representative of the executive to be appointed by the Governor, representative of the Federal Government to be appointed by the NPSC, two independent experts in security matters to be appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly, and a representative each of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

“Others are a retired police officer not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, representative of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and other relevant civil organizations, as the case may be. The body should be responsible for the recruitment, appointment and disciplining of the members of the state police force.

“Importantly, the funding of the state police should be a first line charge on the state account or it can be deducted at source from the Federation Account and paid to the Police Service Commission for onward disbursement to the respective State Police Service Commissions.

“There should be an Act of the National Assembly stipulating the type of arms that can be acquired by a sub-national police and also unacceptable conducts, which can lead to the sanction of a sub-national police command”, he added.

On affordability, he explained that state police would not be compulsory as those who have the resources could establish one, while those who could not afford would continue to rely on the federal police until they were able to establish one.

“The important thing is to lay down the legal frameworks that authorise and regulate decentralised policing so that those who can afford it can start, hence I urge Mr. President to lend his political will and weight to the quest for decentralised policing”, Ekweremadu emphasised.

He further stated that “Our constitution contradicts, in several respects, the basic principles of democracy such as the separation of powers, checks and balances, and compromises the independence of the critical institutions of democracy.

“This is why the National Assembly has, starting from 2010, successfully altered the constitution to strengthen the principles of separation of powers, checks and balance, and indeed our democracy and good governance by placing the National Assembly, INEC, and most recently, the State Houses of Assembly and Judiciary on first line charge”.

He, however cautioned State Assemblies that the autonomy was not a licence to appropriate whatever they liked to their respective Assemblies and States Judiciary, but a recognition of the prioritisation of the release of their funds in the appropriation law of their respective states.

The DSP described the local government as the weakest link in the governance structure and urged the State Assemblies to approve the Constitution Amendment Bills that seek strengthen the councils as a third tier of government.

Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/05/16/ekweremadu-seeks-buharis-support-for-creation-of-state-police/?amp

The NPSC should also run a system of inspectorates and certification such as supervision of recruitment, training, supervision of standards, and annual certification of every State Police Service.

There should be an Act of the National Assembly stipulating the type of arms that can be acquired by a sub-national police and also unacceptable conducts, which can lead to the sanction of a sub-national police command

This busy body legislator is out of his mind. Why exactly should we have our state police force certified by the FG? The states and local governments are capable of doing it themselves. You're free to pass these rules for federal security agencies. Start worrying about federal prisons aswell.

If you're going to decentralize policing you also have to do prisons. If certain crimes arent illegal of federal level then its only state that should hold then. Why should the FG foot the bill?

State Police is the way to go.

The DSP described the local government as the weakest link in the governance structure and urged the State Assemblies to approve the Constitution Amendment Bills that seek strengthen the councils as a third tier of government.

I agree with him completely. The local governments would have to be responsible after they get autonomy. They dont have immunity to hide behind. I would assume state government would have to do better projects and services because they cant be matched or outshined by LG.

let state have their own police the the federal government have a unit which should act as a police to the police as in if popo Bleep up, e get where you go run to

Lagos state - LAPD, Abuja - ABPD , IMO state - IMPD , Rivers state - RSPD , Ekiti State - EKPD etc

Blakjewelry:
let state have their own police the the federal government have a unit which should act as a police to the police as in if popo Bleep up, e get where you go run to

Most state has it already.I believe they are just trying to get funding from federal government to pay them

Very good idea

God bless President Buhari. Nigeria is in safe hands

State police will checkmate the atrocities of Buhari kinsmen aka Fulani herdsmen. PMB will NEVER support the laudable idea.

Only an igbo president can do what is necessary to change this country for good

Others no get liver, or have nothing to gain.

Is Nigeria ripe for state police ?... Imagine state police in the hands of okorocha , wike , yahaya Bello , they will misuse them the same way they are doing LGA chairmen

Chukwurah003:
God bless President Buhari. Nigeria is in safe hands

Hope u know u haven't contributed to this topic

Why not restructure so everything falls into place? All these selective cosmetic changes

Great man DSP ways with best ideas.

The problem is that the North with their scam and criminal ways of recruiting the police and army and other agencies will now have to do it to themselves.

They won't agree. GEJ should have signed thos off long ago.

PMB's position is clear about this. Most of these states are still struggling to pay salaries of the workers they have and they want a state police. You want to give someone a gun when you are not sure of being able to put food in his stomach?

creating of State Police is definitely the way forward...

trust me that's Wise, State Police really make sense so there'll be full control over the police force and they'll be identified easily when they mess up

Nice one, but if not properly checkmated we'll have a state police controlled by cultists(black ace, Aiye and posts more), in such case they can easily rub, rape and kill at nights and go free cos #Na Them#, except proper personality and character test is in check.
Further more it can also halt the activities of bad men cos they're known since it's a community thing.

eedriyz:
PMB's position is clear about this. Most of these states are still struggling to pay salaries of the workers they have and they want a state police. You want to give someone a gun when you are not sure of being able to put food in his stomach?

The FG can support the state with salary payment.

It's not as if the police is a revenue generating agency that the FG has lost to the State.

frankmoney:
Is Nigeria ripe for state police ?... Imagine state police in the hands of okorocha , wike , yahaya Bello , they will misuse them the same way they are doing LGA chairmen

So,the Police as it is being constituted is not being abused?

Nigeria is not ripe for State Police and yet the Federal Police have done NOTHING to arrest the insecurities in the land?

Blue3k:


Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/05/16/ekweremadu-seeks-buharis-support-for-creation-of-state-police/?amp

I don't support this state policing shit, the federal police should be reformed.
State Governors will abuse it

This is a good move from the house and I think the positive impact to the masses will be 85% and negative side will be 15% if I should judge the motion. Just hope buhari will want to consider that for the development of our dear country.