Why State Police Is Desirable
The debate over the necessity for state police has been on for quite some time. Before now, the most vociferous advocates of state police were members of the opposition as well as notable civil society activists. It is, however, crucial to stress that agitation for the creation of state police should not be viewed as a partisan or an anti-federal government crusade. Neither can it be said to be the handiwork of mischief-makers or rabble-rousers.
State police is an important component of true federalism and emblem of authority of governance, since sovereignty is divided between the central authority and federating state authorities. It is not a new concept in Nigeria, but is rather a clamour for modification to the colonial legacy of Native Authority Police, which successfully worked alongside the Nigeria Police Force till the 1970s before it was abolished and integrated into a single Nigeria Police Force by the military oligarchy to achieve their unitary command system. The Native Authority police was very effective as a tool for combating crime and maintaining orderliness then, though with some excesses and abuses typical of the party politics as it was played at that time.
The 1999 Constitution provides for a
Conflicts, crises and wars have been an inherent part of man’s existence. These phenomena have their immediate and long term effects in varying contexts and degrees. One of the most devastating aspects is the issue of families being separated from their loved ones and the attendant mental and psychological stress of not knowing the fate or whereabouts of these loved ones. If this is not bad enough, then, worse is the scenario where there are no formal or well organised platforms to help in reuniting families in the aftermath of these harrowing situations.
Perhaps the key to reuniting families post- conflict is the availability of information and a veritable single federal police and this precludes state governors from taking charge of the protection of lives and property of their people as chief security officers and denies them the emblem of authority. If Nigeria is really a federation, this is a constitutional lacuna that must be addressed through constitution amendment to pave way for state police.
Considering recent level sof threat to public security across the country, taking recourse to state police seems a more attractive option. Without a doubt, the centralised policing system has not really been effective and it is only logical that we consider other plausible options.
Aside the well ac- platform to disseminate such information. Particularly, a platform that is easily accessible to all and sundry. It is to this end that journalists and the media have come to be vital and very key actors in this very critical aspect of human endeavour. No group of people is closer to the generality of the people and easily accessible like the journalists; just as no platform of information has the reach and coverage of the mass media.
Nigeria and in particular the north- eastern part of the country has been devastated by frequent and incessant attacks by the hydraheaded monster of the Boko Haram insurgency. The aftermath of these attacks have been the displacement of families and the cepted philosophy that that policing is essentially a local matter, every crime is local in nature. Hence, it is only rational to localise the police force. No matter its form, crime detection needs a local knowledge that state police can better provide.
Perhaps, more importantly, it is vital that a state governor who is the chief security officer of his state has control of the police command in same state. The current trend where the police commissioner in a state will have to take orders from Abuja concerning security issues in a state doesn’t look tidy.
Ironically, almost all state governments in the country are investing heavily in the separation of people from their loved ones. This has occurred in various ways, ranging from people running away and leaving behind their loved ones when their communities were attacked, to people abducted by the insurgents and never heard of again.
With the war on insurgency recording massive success, it is becoming increasingly important to tackle the post- insurgency issues head- on and in a timely manner, particularly finding veritable ways of reuniting displaced persons with their families. Post- traumatic experiences cannot be adequately addressed unless the issues of missing persons are adequately put to rest. This is critical in ensuring that people can go about resettling and diverse security agencies in their respective states. In Lagos, for example, the state government has in the last 17 years invested billions of naira on public security. In fact, the first security trust fund to be established by any government in the country was initiated by the Lagos State Government.
Presently, the Lagos State Government has rebranded and repositioned the state’s Rapid Response Squad. Within six months of its inauguration, the administration procured and handed over to RRS some equipment, which included three helicopters, two patrol boats, 100 motorcycles, 13 BM power bikes, 60 Ford Salon cars, 55 Ford Rangers, 40 Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs, 31 Armoured Personnel Carriers as well as police uniforms and other kits.
This is in addition to the purchase of 100 new squad cars for a new initiative tagged Special Operation Service (SOS) which harmonises community policing in partnership with the Rapid Response Squad ( RRS). Similarly, an integrated security and emergency control platform that interfaces with all security networks in the state was set up.
In spite of this massive investment in public security, the Lagos State government did not rest on its oars as it again donated security equipment worth N4.7 billion to the State Police Com- rebuilding their lives on a solid foundation.
However, the issue of reuniting families separated by the menace has not been given the attention it deserves. The mass media with its reach and coverage is, perhaps, best equipped to spearhead this endeavour of reuniting friends and families. This would have tremendous impact in helping the victims of insurgency to rebuild their lives. It would also help government and other stakeholders to better realise the need to properly channel efforts in reuniting families post crisis.
–– Sakeenah Saleh Joji and Zainab Idris Abdullahi, Mass Communication Department, University of Maiduguri mand. As massive as this intervention is, the administration has continued to promote the course of public security in the state as it also made a presentation of additional security equipment at a cost of N1.85 billion to security agencies in the state.
The equipment, which was officially presented by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), was distributed to the RRS, 107 Police Stations and 13 Police Area Commands in Lagos State. Other beneficiaries include the Nigeria Customs, Immigration Services, the Nigeria Army, Air Force, Navy, DSS, AIG Zone 2, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety Corps, LASTMA, NDLEA, Lagos State Task Force and the Nigeria Prison Services. Provision of this equipment is a deliberate attempt to fast-track investigation, surveillance and intelligent information in the state.
Now, will it not amount to double standard that a state government bears such a huge financial burden for its state police command, and yet has little or no control over such security organ?
To properly address the security question
The feature by a national newspaper of Saturday, July 1, 2017 on Candido Joao DaRocha, Nigeria’s first millionaire, was enriching, and it was an entertaining excursion back in time to the functional, nostalgic world of Nigeria pre- independence.
What especially caught my interest was the private- sector involvement in utility services as was indicated in the storyline of Mr. DaRocha privately running the Iju Waterworks that supplied potable water to the then wider Lagos metropolis and, thus, getting remunerated appropriately by the colonial government of the day.
This entertaining excursion back in time has now become a veritable lesson for the wanton service failures that we are experiencing in our time because government has nationalised utility services and we are burdened in the country, we need to tackle the issue of state police. No matter how much a state government spends on security, the reality is that it has no direct control over any of the national security organs. The current centralised police structure in the country will continue to limit the capacity of states to effectively address security issues.
It has been argued severally that state police is nothing but a recipe for anarchy, as it could lead to abuse of power. The reality, however, is that the present centralised policing arrangement has, over the years, equally been subjected to limitless abuse by the central authority.
In spite of all the arguments against state police, the fact is that Nigeria is too large and complex to be policed centrally. In an ideal federal system, the issue of state police should not be a contentious matter. If we are really serious about overcoming current security challenges in the polity, the time to embrace the option of state police is now.
–– Tayo Ogunbiyi, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Lagos. by unwieldy and dysfunctional, high- sounding, stateowned alternatives. One should not be surprised much that almost 60 years after independence, commonplace convenience like electricity is still a luxury for the greater proportion of Nigerians and a status symbol for the “big man” class.
When pipe- borne potable water supply and uninterrupted electricity supply are symbols of wealth in any society, then large- scale development would be thoroughly arrested. When this nationalisation policy is extended to parochial schools and standard private schools, largescale arrested development would also be the norm. This state of affairs has been the bane of Nigeria’s development since independence.
–– Sunday Adole Jonah, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna.