The blunder in not having state police – Part 2

Monsignor Martins carried out the task with his accustomed fairness.

Born in Lagos in 1910, he was the grandson of a Brazilian slaver. His paternal grandmother was an ethnic Hausa. He grew up in a household that observed Christian and Moslem traditions. This background would seem to explain his approach to his work as a priest, soldier, and public servant, indeed his entire life.

He was religious without being dogmatic or doctrinaire.

Alhaji Mamman Ali Makele was born on August 20, 1940, Agbaja, Kwara State; Education: Secondary School, Okene, 1954-59, King’s College, Lagos, 1960-61, University of Ibadan, 1962-65, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, USA, 1969-70, University of Wisconsin, USA, 1970, University of Kent, Canterbury, 1985-86, University of London, 1986-87; Assistant Executive Officer, Ministry of Establishment, Lagos, January —September, 1962;Assistant Executive Officer, Cabinet Office, Lagos, June — September, 1963; Assistant Executive Officer, Parliament, Lagos, June — September 1964; Assistant Secretary, Federal Ministry of Economic Development, Lagos, July —October, 1965; Administrative Officer, University of Lagos, 1965-67; Assistant Registrar/Principal Assistant Registrar, Unilag, 1967-76; Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, 1971-75; Commissioner for Economic Development, Kwara State, 1975-77; member, Constitution Drafting Committee, 1976-77; Deputy Registrar, University of Lagos, 1976-80; Chairman, Leventis Group of Companies Scholarship Committee, 1976-80; Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Kwara State, 1977-79; Director and Chair man, Chase Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited, 1977-80; Acting Cabinet Minister, Department of Steel Development, Office of the President of Nigeria, 1980-81; Cabinet Minister for Steel Development, 1981-83; Political Parties: member, defunct Northern Peoples Congress Students’ Wing, University of Ibadan, 1963-65; member, National Executive Committee, banned National Party of Nigeria, 1978-83; member, Kwara State Economic Planning Board, 1972-75.

Alhaji Mamman Daura, was born on the 9th November, 1939 in Daura, in the present day Katsina State. He started his education at the Daura Elementary School, 1946-1949, Katsina Middle Secondary School, 1949-1954, Bournemouth College of Technology, England, 1958-1962, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Eire, 1962-1966, 1968; employee, Daura Native Authority, 1955-1958, programme assistant, Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Kaduna, 1958, deputy secretary, Executive Council of Northern Nigeria, 1967-1968, Senior Assistant Secretary, Political Section, Military Governor’s Office, 1969, Editor, New Nigeria, 1969, Managing Director, New Nigerian Newspapers, 1974-1976, member, Board of Directors, News Agency of Nigeria, 1978, later appointed Chairman, Nigeria Television Authority, 1986; member, NBC Committee of Inquiry, 1970-1971, member, Committee of Inquiry, Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria, 1974, member, State Drought Relief Committee, 1974, chairman, North Central State Campaign against Drug Addiction and Allied  Evils, 1974, member, Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, member, Manufacturer’s Association of Nigeria, director, Nigerian Building Society, director, Dunlop Nigeria Industries since 1974, director, Northern Nigeria Investments since January 1974, appointed chairman, Board of Directors, Bank of Credit and Commerce International (Nigeria)Ltd.

Dr. Obi Wali (27 February 1932 – 26 April 1993) was an intellectual giant compared to his height. Dr Wali would take you on intellectual voyage and you will never be the same again.

The manner of his death is still a shock to me till today. He was violently murdered and dismembered at home in his bedroom by suspected hired assassins on 26 April 1993. Dr Obi Wali was in the league of intellectuals like S.G. Ikoku, Chief Bola Ige, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, Comrade Ola Oni, Gani Fawehinmi, Kanmi Ishola Osobu, Odia Ofeimun, Dr. Bala Usman, Professor Godini Gabriel Darah (75), Comrade Laoye Sanda, Professor Akin Oyebode, Arthur Nwankwo, Chinua Achebe, Professor Wole Soyinka, Dr. Tai Solarin, Kole Omotosho, Professor Ladipo Adamolekun, Professor Bayo Williams (road to Kigali), Professor Ralph Akinfeleye and a host of others too numerous to mention. They all live, in a world of ideas.

Dr Obi Wali was a member of the Constituent Assembly.

In 1979, he was elected Senator to represent Port Harcourt Senatorial zone of Rivers State. Other Senators elected to represent Rivers state at that time were Senators Fracis Ajie, John Ellah (Ahoada/Ikwere/Etche, Gbene Cyrus Nwidonane Nunieh (Bonny/Bori), O. Eberewariye (Degema) and Amatari Zuofa(Brass/Sagbama/Yenogoa).

Dr Obi Wali later became the deputy NPP Senate leader to Senator Jaja Anucha Nwachukwu (1 January, 1918- 7 November 1996) from Aba. That was when I became his friend. His intellectual contributions in the Senate, were exceptional. In 2014 the Obi Wali International Conference Centre was opened to the public in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, created and named in the memory of Obi Wali’s political and literary contributions. Till today, the Ikwerre people organize an annual memorial lecture in Obi Wali’s honor.

Dr Obi Wali’s Committee did not recommend the creation of a State Police. What the committee recommended was” The Sub-Committee in discussing the structure of the police for the country raised the question whether the unified Police system, now in operation, accords with the spirit of federalism. The preponderance of sentiments however was for the continuation of a unified structure.

However, while the Sub-Committee favours the continuation of a unified Police Structure for the country, it believes that a different arrangement from what now obtains should be made in the operation use of the Police. This is because each level of Government, central state and local has responsibility for the maintenance of law and order and each should share in the operational control of the Police commensurate with the level of its responsibilities. The Sub-Committee recommends that the Police force that operates at the local authority area should be under the operational direction of the local authorities, where such local authorities have been entrusted with the responsibility for maintenance of law and order.

Conflicts between the local authority and local police command could be resolved through a system of appeals, the police appealing through the State Command and local authority through the State Ministry of Local Government. It is also suggested that an advisory committee established at the local level could be used in useful discussing issues concerning the local authority/local Police relations.

The Sub-Committee discussed Section 106(4) of the 1963 Constitution which requires the Commissioner of Police of a region to comply with the direction of the Premier of a Region and that in case of disagreement with such direction, the Commissioner may request that the matter be referred to the Prime Minister of the Federation.

It was argued that the recourse directly to the Prime Minister rather than through the intermediary of the Inspector-General of Police undermines his authority as the Inspector-General has the constitutional responsibility for the operational control of the Police. However, it was agreed that it is not proper that any disagreement involving the Governor of a state be passed through the Inspector-General who is a public official.

The issue of possible conflict between the State and Central government on the control of police operations, especially where the state government concerned is from a party which is not the same as the party in control of the central government was raised. It was thought that this issue is not limited to control of police only and that it is a question of state/federal relations to be dealt with by the appropriate Sub-Committee”.

“There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be styled the Nigeria Police Force 2. Subject to the provision of this Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force shall be organized and administered in accordance with such provision as may be made in that behalf by the legislature. 3. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by any law in force in Nigeria.

To be continued tomorrow