The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has reiterated its support for the creation of state police to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, but insists control must not rest with governors.
The pro-democracy and rights group said state police should be managed by an Independent State Police Service Commission, a body composed of reputable citizens, not exceeding seven per state, with a single four-year tenure.
Members, HURIWA proposed, should be elected as independents during general elections under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and removable only if found guilty of fraud or declared bankrupt by a competent court.
The group, in a statement on Wednesday, stressed that this model would prevent governors from abusing state police to target political opponents.
It described concerns raised by Yusuf Gagdi, the lawmaker representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State and Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, as “germane and disconcerting.”
Gagdi had argued during a visit to attacked communities in Kanam Local Government Area, and later on Channels Television’s Politics Today, that governors cannot be trusted with policing powers. He warned that state police, if created, would be deployed against political rivals.
In response, HURIWA, through its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, cautioned against abandoning the idea of state police out of fear of misuse.
“We accept that the governors of Nigeria are often dictatorial and may use the state police against political opponents just like what obtains with the centralised national police whereby successive Presidents have often deployed the police to target their political opponents,” the group said.
HURIWA argued that with enforceable constitutional provisions ensuring the independence of the state police service commission, governors would be unable to hijack the institution.
“We think that by this way, the groundswell of fears being expressed by opponents of the idea of a state police in Nigeria would have been taken care of. The state governors should be convinced not to oppose the checks and balances to be inserted in the constitution alongside the creation of state police. What should be of the utmost priority is to safeguard the nation’s national security because the primary legal duty of government is to protect lives and property of the citizens,” it added.
Post A Comment: