PDP governors, Lagos lawmakers call for state police

The adoption of state police has been proffered as a veritable solution to the pervasive insecurity across the country.

This was the submission of state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a meeting held in Abuja on Monday.

Equally, it was the submission of the Lagos State House of Assembly after a plenary during which lawmakers expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the country, and Lagos especially.

Rising from its meeting to review the state of the nation, the PDP Governors’ Forum, in a communique, said that they would continue to play their role in the effort to bring security and succour to Nigerians.

The governors reiterated the call for state police with appropriate safeguards to avoid any abuse by any tier of government.

The meeting was attended by Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and Kefas Agbu of Taraba State.

Others included Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai of Enugu State and Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme of Delta State.

In a communique read by the Chairman of the Forum, Mr Mohammed, the governors also asked the federal government to take urgent and comprehensive measures to halt the deteriorating value of the naira.

While noting the hardship being faced by Nigerians as a result of the economic and security challenges facing the nation, the governors urged the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, embark on initiatives involving all the sub-national governments to bring a lasting solution to the crises.

The meeting reviewed recent developments in the PDP and committed to leading efforts to revamp and reposition the party to serve as an effective opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governors passed a vote of confidence in the Iliya Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and urged it to put in motion the machinery for convening meetings of its appropriate organs – from Caucus to National Executive Committee (NEC) – as soon as possible.

Speaking on the rising cost of living in the country, Mr Mohammed said the Forum was “working closely with the federal government, and partnering with them to make sure that we don’t bring any distraction, but the monetary and economic policies rest squarely with the federal government.”

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“The majority of Nigerians voted for this administration. So, we are doing so much across party lines, and on bi-partisan basis within the Nigeria Governors’ Forum within the National Economic Council to make sure that we cushion the effects of some of these policies. We have reached out to our people and opened the food reserves in a manner that will provide some succour to our people at the lower level,” he said.

In Lagos, members of the state assembly, on Monday, stressed the need for a constitutional amendment to allow for state policing amid rising insecurity in the country.

This formed the crux of an urgent motion raised by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, while the Assembly reviewed the recent attack by some gunmen in the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu local government.

Mr Obasa called on the National Assembly to consider the immediate review of the 1999 constitution to allow for state policing.

Another member of the House, representing Ikorodu 2 constituency, Moshood Aro, while speaking on the Igbogbo attack, highlighted some sustainable solutions to the pervasive insecurity including the immediate establishment of state police, clearing of bushes around residential areas by the Ministry of Environment, and completion of major roads in Igbogbo. He also urged the state’s commissioner of police to work with local security outfits.