State Police: Federalists hail Tinubu, governors, tell lawmakers to amend Constitution

Federalists in Nigeria have commended President Bola Tinubu and the 36 States Governors for looking at the direction of States owned policing security outfits as obtainable in most federations of the world.

The Federalists who reacted to the proposal in Abuja on Friday under the aegis of Coalition of Federalists for Good Governance, CFGG, through a jointly signed statement by its National Coordinator, Taiye Odewale and Secretary, Aisha Jibrin, however called on the National Assembly to back up the proposal with required constitution amendment.

President Tinubu and the 36 States Governors had on Thursday in Abuja at an emergency meeting on way out of security challenges facing the nation, settled for establishment of State Police to nip crime and criminality in the bud at the grassroots as against fighting them from Abuja with little or no results.

Lack of State Police arising from over centralized federation imposed on Nigeria by the Military since 1966, according to CFGG, is one of the systemic dysfunctions afflicting the Nigeria federation over the decades and stifling her growth and development across the various sectors.

CFGG in the statement, said establishing States owned and controlled Police outfits, would address the dysfunctionality of the Nigerian federation in the area of security, which the existing over centralized security architecture has no answer for.

The group therefore called on the 469 federal lawmakers at the National Assembly, to key into the proposal with required constitution amendment to that effect and concurrence from at least 24 out of the 36 States Houses of Assembly.

The statement reads in part: “The Coalition of Federalists for Good Governance in Nigeria, CFGG, commend President Bola Tinubu and the 36 States Governors for finally settling for establishment of State Police in Nigeria as obtainable in 24 other federations of the world.

“As a result of self inflicted systemic dysfunctions afflicting the Nigerian Federation over the decades , the centre (Federal Government), is obviously getting suffocated with challenges and responsibilities at hand, one of which is the security of the citizens and the country itself.

“We the Federalists, welcome the lofty idea of creating State Police in Nigeria at this very challenging time security wise, and also, to correct one of the abnormalities of the overcentralized federation imposed on the country by the military from 1966 to 1999 which supposed to have been corrected within the last 25 years.

“On the template of security, the abnormality in question are the conflicting provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which on one hand in section 2(2) declares Nigeria as a federation but on the other hand in section 214, imposes a unitary or single policing on the country aside putting Policing on exclusive list as against concurrent list of the constitution.

“Crime is local and can best be detected and fought at the grassroots by security outfits close to the locals like State Police and not endless security summits at the centre or endless hours of interactive sessions with heads of centralized security agencies by the National Assembly.

“Aside unitary policing being addressed now, other abnormalities of the overcentralized federation imposed on us by the military, shall also be pointed out for required corrections at public hearings to be organized by Constitution Review panels being set up by the 10th National Assembly, which to us, should deviate from cosmetic constitution amendment exercise, carried out by the previous Assemblies.”