Sixteen state governors have declared their support and desire to set up state police.
Spokesperson to the Vice President on Stanley Nkwocha, who revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday titled, ‘NEC endorses take-off of $617M i-DICE programme across states,” said the states have since submitted proposal on it to the National Economic Council.
The governors also suggested changes that should be made to the constitution so that state police can be crested
The reports were amongst documentations received at the 140th NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.
Nwokocha said the NEC is still waiting for reports from 20 states adding that others would support the proposal.
NEC was established by the provisions of section 153(1) and Paragraphs 18 & 19 of part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Its membership comprises the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank and other co-opted government officials.
The statement said Shettima chaired the NEC meeting which holds monthly to execute its mandate of “advising the President concerning the economic affairs of theaairefv Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”
Nkwocha said, the “Secretary to NEC (Mr Nebeolisa Anako) made a presentation on submissions by states on the state policing initiative. Reports have been received by 16 states on the establishment of State police. Twenty states have yet to send in report. All states across the country expressed their support for the establishment of state police for the following reasons.
“States made presentations in support of the creation of state police. States recommended changes in the constitution and the current policing structure to enable the operationalisation of the initiative.”
Nwokocha said the states have not been named yet, adding that the total number would be presented at the next NEC meeting even as “the compilation is still going on”.
This comes weeks after the Federal and state governments, on February 16, 2024, resolved to develop modalities to create state police to tackle the country’s security crisis.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has given his agreed to the creation of state police and forest guards
The presidency said it expects the re-opening of the Nigeria-Niger border to fight the illegal influx of arms roaming the Sahel from the conflict in Libya.
Similarly, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in a communique its issued at the conclusion of its virtual meeting, and signed by its Chairman, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, dated Wednesday and made available to the press on Thursday, said therevwas need to incorporate State policing as a crucial amendment in the ongoing 1999 Constitutional Amendment process to address a fundamental flaw in the national security framework.
The communique read in part “The Forum commiserated with the Governor of Delta State, H.E Sheriff Oborevwori, over the communal clash between Okuama in the Ughelli South Local Government Area and Okolaba in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, and which led to the death of many including 16 military personnel. While condemning the heinous act, members observed a minute of silence for the souls of the departed.
“Members reviewed the progress of the National Minimum Wage Committee and ongoing multi- stakeholder engagements towards agreeing on a fair minimum wage.
“Members urged the NMWC to consider the current realities, individual State peculiarities and consequential impact on the capacity of the government as well as private sector employers to pay. Members also emphasized the need for proposals to be data- driven and evidence-based.
“The Forum highlighted the need for State policing as a critical amendment in the ongoing 1999 Constitutional Amendment proceedings to correct a fundamental flaw in the national security architecture.”
