Don Says State Police Long Overdue, Part Of Federalism

A Research Professor at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, (NIIA), has remarked that the proposed creation of state police, is a reform that is long overdue for Nigeria’s federal system.

Prof Olufemi Otubanjo made the position known on Friday,  during an exclusive interview on _Frontline_, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

“State police is something that was long overdue. Long overdue because of the fact that it is a natural part of federalism to have state police and to have state control of the judiciary, and so on,” he said.

The comment follows the Senate’s passage on Wednesday of a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria.

The bill would also empower state governors to appoint Commissioners of Police for their states, subject to confirmation by State Houses of Assembly

Otubanjo argued that policing, judicial administration and correctional services are traditionally shared responsibilities in federal systems.

“It’s high time Nigeria has state police, because it is part of federalism. We are a federal system. Every federal system has division of labour.

“Just as we have the high court system at the state level, we have police at the state level. These are all state functions,” he said.

He lamented what he called excessive centralisation of powers at the centre, saying successive governments have “abused federalism” by holding on to functions that should be devolved.

“We have had this over-centralisation of the police to the point that a governor clearly does not have control of the commissioner under him,” he noted, citing a recent kidnapping in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.