Whether contrived or real, CHIBUZO UKAIBE writes that the imperative or undesirability of creating state police as solution to the increasing security challenges exposes the basic differences between northern and southern Nigeria as dramatised by sharp disagreements of the region’s governors recently
The build up to their meeting over state police had all the trappings of an explosive encounter. The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) was sharply split on the issue of creation of state police, and still is, as their last meeting was inconclusive.
Alas, the much anticipated showdown was not to be as their communiqué read by their chairman and Rivers State governor, “differed the debate on the issue of Constitutional amendment until after the fasting period when all members would be back from the Umrah (Lesser Hajj).”
As such, judgment day was only postponed as the opposing forces within the Nigerian Governors Forum are yet to find a middle ground around the matter. Governors, majorly along lines of Northern and Southern governors have remained sharply divided over whether states can have their own police or not. LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the South-West and South-South governors are at the fore front of the campaign for establishment of state policing.
Barely a month after the 36 state governors in a communiqué on June 24 called for the creation of state police; their northern counterparts withdrew their support for the state police creation.
The communiqué read by the Chairman of the Forum and Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, having cited the overstretched situation of in funding security as well as agitation for a special intervention fund said “The forum (NGF) identified the increasing need for state police as a strategy for combating the rising insecurity in the country.”
But rising from their meeting on July 26, the Northern Governors Forum led by its Chairman and Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, said instead of state police, the national police should be strengthened.
According to their communiqué “The forum is not in support of the creation of state police. It, however, resolved to prevail on the FG to embark on police reforms that will assist the states in the control and management of police affairs on a sound philosophy of modern policing by amending the provision of Section 215 of the constitution.
“Subject to the provision of this section, the governor or such commissioner of the government of the state as he may authorise in that behalf 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, and the commissioner of police shall comply with those directives or cause them to be complied with.”
However, the governor of Plateau State has since distanced himself from the position of the northern governors aligning with his southern counterparts. Reacting to the position of his northern colleagues, Amaechi was quoted to have said “I am Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, my view is the view of the governors’ forum, I would not want to hold any view to the contrary, but currently the view of the governors’ forum as at now is that we are in support of state police”.
On his part Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State in an interview with a national daily said “My position on the state police is that it is eminently sensible because if you have a federal university, a federal legislature, a federal judiciary and central police and you have state universities, state House of Assembly, state judiciary, then you don’t have state police, to me it doesn’t make sense.
If you open our constitution, you’ll see federal executive, state executive, National Assembly, State House of Assembly, you will see federal and state judiciary and the only thing you will see is the final control, the police. So, how do you enforce laws when you don’t have the law enforcement capacity?
All sorts of arguments have been made, they said it will be abused and let us assume that it is true that 36 of us (Governors) are irresponsible, is our irresponsibility more dangerous than the loss of lives? The constitution says that we should protect lives and property. Now, let us go back, that we used to have this regional police before and it was said to have been abused. So, there was a problem at the time.”
However, while twenty four 24 states would be needed to pass the recommendation for state police via their State Assemblies, southern states have 17 states and the northern counterparts have 19 states.
Clearly, the volte-face by the northern governors has been interpreted in various ways.