In the heat of rising wave of banditry and kidnaping in some parts of the country, some stakeholders in the polity, made fresh calls for the establishment of state police. TAIYE ODEWALE reports
Policing
Policing simply means maintenance of law and order by police in any society regardless of the form or system of governance, being run by the society or societies.
This is the reason across the globe all countries have police as security outfit primarily saddled with enforcement of law and order and by extension, ensuring security and safety of people inhabiting the countries.
Operational Models
As there are differences in systems of governance the various countries of the world operate, so are differences in operational models of policing by them.
For example, while countries operating federal system of government being federations, operate distinctive and multi -layers policing system, many of those running unitary systems of government, have monolithic or centralised policing structure as it is, with Nigeria that is not even a unitary state or country.
The contradiction of the Nigerian model
Nothing points out the contradiction of the Nigerian model than provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
While section 2(2) of the constitution, clearly makes it a federation that it has been via the Richard Constitution of 1946, section 214 imposes a unitary or single policing on it and further reinforced by making policing one of the 68 later reduced to 66 items, on the exclusive list in the constitution that only be legislated or acted upon by the federal government.
On the list which is in the second schedule of the constitution, police and other government security services established by law, are under item 45 which over the years, since the termination of the first republic in January 1966, makes Nigeria, a federation with federal police alone with attendant centralisation and monolithic command structure antithetical to decentralization which federalism stands for.
Consequences of the abnormality
The consequences of Nigeria as federation, running a unitary or singular policing system, are the increasing waves of crimes in the country and inability of the police as it is structured now, to either nipped them in the bud or swiftly arrest and bring perpetrators of such heinous crimes to book as required deterrence.
Futile attempts made to correct the anomaly
Over the years through constitution review exercise by the National Assembly, attempts have been made to move policing from the exclusive list to concurrent list without success.
During the 7th National Assembly headed by Senator David Mark as President of the Senate and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (now a Senator) as Speaker of the House of Representatives, the attempt was boldly made by listing establishment of State Police as part of items voted on by federal lawmakers then which, however, didn’t get the required 2/3 votes at both chambers.
Despite countless motions sponsored by serving federal lawmakers during the 8th and 9th National Assembly on the need for decentralized policing system, it never made it as one of the items voted on, during their constitution review exercise.
The renew call
However due to worsening problem of insecurity in the country now, particularly, banditry and kidnapping, fresh calls are being made for establishment of state police.
One of those who made the call in recent time, is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (APC Niger East).
Sani Musa who made the call through a personally signed press statement penultimate week said: “All the tiers of government and Nigerians must recognize the fact that security is essential for the survival and flourishing of any society, hence it has become imperative that all hands must be on deck to make it possible that it involves the protection of individuals, communities, and the entire nation against dangers and attacks.
“The issue of insecurity in Nigeria has become something of grave concern to me and all well-meaning Nigerians, most of whom continue to wonder how the country arrived at such a dastardly situation where no one is safe; and worse still, rather than abate, the problem is escalating and now totally out of control.
“I have repeatedly spoken and issued statements on this very disturbing issue, especially as it it affects my state, Niger, its neighbouring states and other parts of the country.
“The state of insecurity in Nigeria caused by multiple crimes, banditry and spate of kidnappings, massive killing as well as wanton destruction of property has become a recurring phenomenon that threatens the well-being of its citizens.
“I am specifically calling for the re-engineering of our nation’s security architecture since it is not working. Calling for the reconsideration of state police and massive recruitment of men, new tactics in intelligence gathering.
“It is important that we all recognize that security is essential for the survival and flourishing of any society.
“Hence we must make it possible that it involves the protection of individuals, communities, and the entire nation against dangers and attacks.
“Conceptually, we must redefine the structural imbalance that we have today, local government system has collapsed, the states have arrogated and accumulated its power.
“For us to have the needed security and economic stability, we must rebuild the process by which the state not only grows in economic productivity and government coercion but, also, in political and institutional power”.
Aside calls being made by individuals for establishment of state police, some media outfits have also done editorials on it .
The latest of such editorials is the one by one of the online media which states thus: “To redeem the country from this quagmire, the 2014 National Political Reform Conference had recommended devolving policing after its painstaking deliberations.
“This implies the creation of state police across the 36 states of the federation, in addition to enabling community policing, the National Border Force, Coast Guards and placing the control of the unaccounted for, and often embezzled security votes under the State Security Council of each state.
“Mr President, to save the security situation in the country from further deterioration, the time for state, community and other levels of policing has come! …..”
Ball in the court of the 10th National Assembly.
As provided for by relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the National Assembly is the only institution in the country, that can set machinery in motion in terms of legislation for constitution amendment in that direction.
But the question is, when the chips are down, would it do the needful or chicken out from it as done by previous Assemblies on the issue?
Time will definitely tell.
