SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, has resolved to constitute a six-man committee that would consider the vexed issue of state police in the country, which is one of the major items in the proposed restructuring of Nigeria.
THEWILL recalls that the 2014 National Conference had approved the creation of state police, National Border Force and Coast Guard, among others for improved security across the country. The decisions were taken during the adoption of the report of the Conference Committee on National Security, headed by a former Inspector General of Police, Gambo Jimeta.
Through a unanimous voice vote, delegates to the Confab approved the establishment, funding and operation of state and community police based on state laws.
At their meeting with the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, governors of the 36 states of the federation resolved to set up a six-man committee, whose membership would be drawn from each of the six geo-political zones of the country.
The committee was specifically given the task of coming up with the best way of policing Nigeria in view of the myriads of security challenges experienced in the country.
The NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, who was joined by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State in addressing State House correspondents, said the IGP made a presentation at the meeting during which he canvassed the establishment of media channels including radio and television for the police force.
His words, “We discussed and we received presentation from the Inspector General of Police. He made a presentation to us canvassing for the support to introduce media outfits, radio and television for the force as well as for the police to go technologically from the manual of doing things.
“The Inspector General of Police dominated the whole day of our discussion today in understanding what the issue of policing is, to the system. In some other nations, it is ten to one person but in Nigeria we have four hundred to one.
“So, they are having so many difficulties in funding which we agreed that with the way things are going with the budgeting process, we cannot be able to fund police. So, the Inspector General of Police made us to know that there is a kind of Trust Fund Bill which is before the National Assembly. He asked for our support and the members of the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives.
“On our own part, we have put a committee in place. It is headed by the governors of Kwara, Imo, Delta, Ekiti, Bauchi and Sokoto to lead the committee so that they can be able to interface with the committee of police and take the matter before the acting president for further action. It is important for our nation.
“There is the issue of kind of state police which is being discussed and we are coming with so many options which we are expecting the committee will do and find safe way of policing in Nigeria,” Yari said.
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