Wetin be di role of govnors, how state police go take work for Nigeria
Wia dis foto come from, Nigerian Senate/Facebook
- Author, Chukwunaeme Obiejesi
- Role, Reporter
- Reporting from, Abuja
- Published
- Read am in 5 mins
Di new executive bill to create State Police for Nigeria, wey President Bola Tinubu bin send to di national assembly, and wey di Senate pass on Wednesday, dey almost certain to bicom law, even bifor di 2027 general election.
Remember say di House of Representatives bin don pass similar bill, even though dat one dey different from di one wey di Senate pass on Wednesday.
Sabi pipo tok say a joinbodi committee of di Senate and di House of Reps go torchlight di two bills and harmonise am into one.
Di next stage na for di bill to go to di 36 State Houses of Assembly for Nigeria, wia e must to pass by two-third majority - at least 24 States - bifor e go come back to di President for im final signature, and e go bicom law.
Di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dey currently control 32 out of di 36 States for Nigeria, and for some States wia dem no dey for power - like Anambra and Abia States - di guvnors dia na allies of Presido Tinubu, so e dey hard to see dia lawmakers not backing di bill.
Here na some of di changes wey dey expected wen dis State Police Bill bicom law:
Make up and functions State Police
According to Opeyemi Bamidele, di Senate Majority Leader wey lead di debate for di State Police Bill on Wednesday, di bill go abolish di Nigeria Police Force and create di Federal Police Service (FPS) and di State Police Service (SPS) for di States wey want.
Each State must to first establish dia own State Police Service law bifor dem go set up State police, and dis law must to meet di minimum standard wey di National Assembly set.
State Police go get jurisdiction for di following:
- Enforcement of state laws
- Maintenance of public safety and public order
- Prevention and detection of crimes inside dia jurisdiction,
- Protection of lives and property
- Oda local policing duties
Howeva, di federal police fit still intervene for State mata should in case di State get total breakdown of law and order, if di State govnor request am, or if di state police service no dey capable to function sake operational, financial or administrative problem.
Operations and Safeguards for State Police
State govnors go get power to appoint commissioners of police for dia state from di serving police officers of di State, and dem also get power to give direct orders to di commissioner.
However, di appointment by di govnor go still need approval of di State House of Assembly and di Police Service Commission.
Yemi Adaramodu, di spokesman of di Nigeria Senate explain am for one TV interview as e give example wit di appointment of State Chief Judges wia govnors fit nominate or recommend pesin, but na di national Judicial Council get di final say to approve di appointment.
"Wen govnors appoint commissioners of police, e go go back to a federal police service commission, wey go look at di resume and profile of wicheva policeman wey go bicom di commissioner of State police command," Adaramodu tok.
Here na di oda safeguards inside di State Police bill to prevent State govnors make dem no abuse am:
- State Commissioners no dey obligated to carry out illegal orders from di state govnor, rada e go report am to di Nigeria Police Council.
- Di use of police powers for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional or personal purposes dey prohibited.
- National Assembly go maintain di power to set out di national minimum standards for recruiting, training, vetting, promoting, and disciplining of police officers. Dis na to maintain professionalism and accountability
- Di Federal Police fit intervene should in case of serious violation of fundamental human rights; established record of electoral intimidation; if national security dey unda threat
- Wia Federal Police go intervene, na only di President fit authorise am, and in writing.
Arguments for and against State Police
Dis issue of State Police for Nigeria no be recent conversation, however, di rising insecurity for almost all parts of di kontri don make am more relevant.
Many pipo who bin no gree wit di idea bifor, don change dia mind now. But some critics still feel say politicians go abuse am.
Former Chairman of di National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, who be vocal critic of di Tinubu administration, post for im X handle say "di plan na to establish State Police bifor di 2027 election and hand APC govnors lawful militias".
Also, TV presenter Rufai Oseni tok say im agree wit State Police, but di way dis bill dey structured, all di powers still dey for di hands of di President, and dat no be how federal system of govment suppose dey work.
Oseni point out say, according to di bill, all di members of Nigeria Police Council wey suppose get oversight powers ova di State Police, na still di President go appoint dem, so "notin really change".
Similarly, a member of di Senate, Ali Ndume, tok say e dey important to still chook eye into di legal issues about dis State Police.
"For instance, if dem dey pursue tif from Kaduna and e run enta di FCT, how dem go do am? Shey dem go liv di pesin sake of say e don comot from dia jurisdiction?" Ndume tok for interview wit Arise TV.
On di oda hand, supporters of di bill say e go improve security well-well for di kontri.
"If dis (State Police) come tru, den di govnors no go get excuse anymore, bicos local go security go truly be in di hand of di govnor," according to Ambrose Igbokwe, di chairman of Guild of Public Affairs Analysts for Enugu State.
A lot of di States already get some kind of structure, like di forest guards and di vigilantes, Igbokwe add, so all dem need na beta operational training, mapping out ranking structure, and maybe recruit more personnel.
Also, Joe Abah, a former Director General of di Bureau of Public Service Reforms write for X say di advantage of a decentralised police structure dey greater dan di fear about weda State govnors go dey use di State police to rig election.
