Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi
As State Governors push for the creation of State Police, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that such formation will ensure faster and immediate response to security needs of the local environment.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, the Governor said the call for the establishment of State Police is not a departure from the concept of true federalism but is an extension of the concept as each federating unit is supposed to have control of its own security apparatus.
Fayemi who described state police as the most effective police formation across the world said this does not amount to cancellation of a federal police which is to respond to federal issues bordering on intelligence and wider international crimes and security but lacks knowledge of what obtains in the local community.
The Governor said: “ Each federating unit, which are states should have control over their own security apparatus. That is not to say that we still wont have a federal police which responds to federal issues but in terms of wider knowledge of what obtains in my locality, the best person to use is somebody from that locality who has a much better, much richer understanding and will be faster in response to the immediate needs of that environment”.
While noting that the country is faced with enormous security challenges which have incapacitated the Police from curbing insecurity, Governor Fayemi said that only a State Police can effectively respond to the yearnings of the people who know those who can perpetrate criminality in their community.
Fayemi allayed fears that State Governors may abuse the Police should they have control over it; saying that if the federal government has not abused the existing Nigerian Police, the State Governments cannot abuse same; adding that a supervisory authority may be put in place to checkmate an abuse as well as give room for the citizenry to lodge complaints of possible abuse of power.
He added that State police offers an appropriate vehicle for addressing fundamental disconnect between the police and the citizen they protect, especially at a time when citizens do not trust the Nigerian Police for some reasons.
Governor Fayemi who lamented the powerlessness of State Governors as Chief Security Officers of a State despite that State Governments provides the police with allowances, insurance and patrol vehicles among others; saying that the lack of control is an incongruity in relation to their huge investment.
Last modified: June 30, 2012
