Former President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that Nigeria can only have security if states are allowed to set up their police.
He stated this while speaking at a one-day dialogue on State Police organized by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Monday.
Jonathan’s postulation was, however, contradicted that of the Inspector general of Police Kayode Egbetokun who also spoke at the same event.
According to the IG, Nigeria was not ripe for police, and that the states don’t have the fund to maintain state police, which he said would need to be recruiting 30,000 annually to meet the United Nations Standards and increase monthly allocations to the police, which he said were far beyond the state.
Jonathan who described the issue as critical, the debate is needless, saying whether we need to have a state police or not but the operations.
He recalled the 2014 conference when the matter of State Police came up, and said all delegates supported alongside other proposed security measures.
Jonathan said with State Police being discussed, other measures must also be taken into consideration to make the country better.
Speaking on the same issue, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun said Nigeria is not ripe for state police.
He said Police will exacerbate ethnic tension, leading to divided loyalty in the states.
The IGP who was represented by AIG Ben Okolo, said State Police will also lead to multiple command structures in the States.
He said governors could use it for political gains and abuse of human rights.
Egbetokun said the state Governments do not have the fund that will give birth to the type of policing that the nation requires.
