A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obafemi George, has commended President Bola Tinubu for backing the passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly.
He said the establishment of state police is the panacea to the country’s security challenges.
In an interaction with journalists in Lagos, he said the President should be commended for pushing the bill to the National Assembly, adding that with the creation of state police, governors can issue instructions and directives to state commissioners of police.
George said that under the Nigerian constitution, governors were given only the nominal title of chief security officer of the state. Still, they couldn’t give directives or instructions to the commissioner of police. However, with the creation of state police, governors can instruct the commissioner of police.
“You know why it will go a long way to solve insecurity, we address the governors as Chief Security officer of a state and that title is not in our constitution, if you read section 2:1(4) of our constitution, that section says the governor shall ensure public safety and public order in the state, and he shall do so by instructing the commissioner of police.
“What the law states is that you have given him a responsibility, but what he needs to carry out the responsibility, you take it from him. If I call you the security officer of a state and you don’t control the security apparatus, what will you use to secure the state? “He asks
Citing fears that some state governors may abuse the creation of state police, George noted that no system is perfect; even in America, which began state policing in 1855, there are still flaws. Still, he admitted that the advantages of having state police outweigh its disadvantages.
“We won’t say because we fear some state governors may want to abuse the creation of state police, so it will not come into existence. No perfect law anywhere. America has had state police since 1855 they still have issues.
“There is no perfect system anywhere, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make it work; the advantages far, far outweigh the disadvantages.”
Speaking on the chances of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, he said he has a very bright chance because he has put Nigeria on the right track, with his reform policies earning Nigeria accolades from international monetary institutions.
He said the infrastructures he is building have aided the economy, and he has started doing what he did in Lagos. He is doing it faster. One of the things that drives an economy is infrastructure. When you are moving from point A to point B, there is a time lag, so you have to tell people where you are going.
