THERE are discordant tunes over the establishment of State Police as opinion vary over likely abuse of the policy by the various state Governors while others welcome the development as panacea for ending insecurity in Nigeria .

 

Speaking at the Arise News Town Hall on state Police in Abuja on Thursday, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives ,Benjamin Kalu decried the inadequate number of Police officers stressing that the state police was long overdue and that there would be safeguards that would eliminate abuses .

 

The Deputy Speaker said currently one Police over is assigned to about 600 Nigerians as against the recommendation of the United Nations that one Police officer be assigned to 150 people .

 

He explained that the National Assembly is determined to ensure smooth rake off of state policing insisting that proximity to crimes scenes and responses necessitated unbundling of the Nigerian Police Force .

 

Kalu maintained that the state Police would bring policing closer to the people enough to secure the country’s population and vast landmass.

 

Also speaking at the event, the Senate leader,Senator Bamidele Opeyemi said the National Assembly is working on ensuring that the state Police structures and placed on the first line charge to address challenges funding that might compromise their professionalism.

 

He pointed out that the National Assembly has put in motion a process that will lead to the amendment of the Police Act and pave the way for community policing in the near future .

 

Former Governor of Edo state ,Senator Adams Oshiomhole also spoke in full support of the state Police ,stressing that the fears of likely abuse were neither here nor there .

 

According to him , the inability of the State Governors to have control over the Federal Police makes it difficult to achieve desired results in terms of the fight against insecurity .

 

Senator Oshiomhole called on Nigerians to vote out state Governors who exhibit tendencies of abuses ,adding that the state Police will cure more ills that whatever fears being expressed about likely abuses .

 

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal who also spoke at the event pledged full support for the state Police insisting that Chief executives of states will do better in terms of fighting crime with the establishment of State policing .

 

He doubled down that his administration will not pay ransom to kidnappers,emphasizing that bandits use the ransoms to procure more arms to terrorize the people .

 

On her part Honourable Nnenna Ukeje questioned the establishment of a state Police at a time the Federal Governement has yet done enough in funding and training of officers .

 

She also faulted the transition process,arguing that the entire process was not well thought out and that it will likely create more challenges than it was established to cure .

 

She advised the Federal Government to deal with the proliferation of small arms before establishing state Police .

 

According to her the states lack the capacity to fight terrorism and banditry through the state police structure.

 

Retired Chief of Defence staff ,General Lucky Irabor advised the Federal Government to first deal with the logistical and training challenges faced by the Police to ensure that state police does not inherit similar problems that has hindered their operations over the years .

 

He suggested a complete overhauling and strengthening of the recruitment processes of state Police to ensure that criminals are not recruited.

 

A historian , Bukar Usman disagreed with former and current state Governors who justify the creation of state policing on the basis that it would allow state Chief Executives more powers and control over officers .

 

According to him, the 1999 constitution as amended has given express powers to state Governors to give lawful directives to state Commissioners of Police.

 

He insisted that only where such directives are not lawful, the state Commissioners of Police are duty bound to reject .

 

He advised that for the state Police to function properly ,all the bodies spelt out in the constitution must be properly structured to deliver .

 

 

Also speaking, the Governor of Ogun state ,Dapo Abiodun said all the state Governors have made a commitment to establish state Policing that will fight crimes such as banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crime .

 

He emphasized that those expressing fears that the state Police will be abused by the stage Governors have elevated the conversations and that safeguards will be put in place to eliminate such tendencies .

 

Also speaking , Senator Natasha Agboti-Uduaghan narrated a personal experience of complete abuse of the Federal Police by a former Governor of Kogi.

 

She wondered how a state Governor who could manipulate a federal police cannot do worse with a state Police that is directly under his control.

 

Speaking virtually , the Anambra state Governor , professor Chukwuma Soludo said the establishment of State Police should come alongside reforms of the judicial sector .

 

He expressed concerns that the current system allows state matters as land disputes are allowed to proceed up to the supreme court .

 

He Advocated for state supreme courts that would work alongside the state police are reduce the workload on both Federal Police and federal judiciary .