Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has insisted on decentralisation of the nation’s policing system as solution to multiple of security challenges facing the country.
The Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District in the National Assembly said this in a message he issued to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary.
The Senator also insisted that the planned introduction of community policing may not help in tackling the myriad of security challenges facing the country except states willing and with resources to do so are allowed to establish their own police force
See the full statement below:
59TH INDEPENDENCE: LET’S DECENTRALISE POLICING, BUILD AN EGALITARIAN SOCIETY
I congratulate Nigerians on the occasion of the 59th Independence Anniversary celebration.
I also share the serious concern among Nigerians over growing insecurity in the land today. But I believe that the difference between security at independence and today is mainly in the security architecture. We have moved from decentralised policing with national, sub-national, and local policing services to unitary policing owned and controlled solely by the Federal Government.
Whereas the plan by the FG to introduce community policing gives an impression of shifting of ground, I doubt that such effort without first decentralising policing to allow states, which can afford it, to set up their own police services, can take us anywhere. It is like putting the cart before the horse and the result is very predictable.
Whereas I can easily dust up the Bill for the Establishment of State Police with provisions against any form of abuse, which I sponsored along with some of my colleagues in the 8th Senate, I believe that there is first a serious need for the political will and change in mindset to ensure that the Bill succeeds.
Importantly, I call on leaders at all levels of governance to rededicate themselves to an egalitarian society marked by justice for all, including an equitable distribution of opportunities and amenities, as a sure way of securing peace and unity among our citizens.
I wish Nigerians a hitch-free independence celebration and a happy new month.
God bless.