Immediate past Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, yesterday, said that state police would “kill the nation’s nascent democracy”, lamenting its endorsement by governors.
Okechukwu, a foundation member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), told journalists at the weekend in Eke, Udi Council of the state, that his lack of support for its establishment was because of his elementary study of the antics of dictatorship.
He noted that his study of dictatorship would make him shiver each time he thought of what would happen to democracy if governors had since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, were empowered absolutely through state police.
The APC chief claimed governors had disrupted local councils, state Judiciary and state Legislatures and turned them into rubberstamps and now working towards controlling the police in their states.
“My dear countrymen, do we, for all intents and purposes, make altruistic sense to further empower emperors? Emperors hated alternative views, and abhorred popular participation and the rule of law throughout the history of man.
“Our dear governors, in a similar manner, abhorred the rule of law and popular participation; this is why they had, in the same bipartisan manner, opposed local government autonomy, independence of state judiciary and state legislatures,” he said.
Proffering alternative solution, Okechukwu noted that as a matter of urgent national importance at this trying period, the country needed well-trained, and well-equipped Special Constabulary Police in line with Sections 105-109 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
The APC chief said Special Constabulary Police should be equipped with the sophisticated arsenal to contain kidnappers, terrorists and insurgents at the grassroots, without authoritarian antics.
He said Special Constabulary Police would be funded by Federal and state governments, jointly recruited from indigenes of the given state, in collaboration with the governors, albeit local community-based with “tiny federal strings” for necessary moderation.
“I appeal for understanding for Special Constabulary Police; as the Federal and State Governments will better fund the outfit; rather than authorising state governors to transfer the burden of funding to our citizenry, majority of who are trapped in multidimensional poverty.
“Whereas, one understood the metastasis of grief, helplessness, despair, despondency, and the sordid scenario of a country overwhelmed by insecurity, it will be less strategic in the midst of confusion to overtax our citizenry.”
“And most importantly, also less strategic in hastily throwing away our democratic baby and the bathing water,” he added.
