Southern governors have okayed the establishment of state and community policing to tackle insecurity challenges in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Prince Dapo Abiodun who disclosed this to pressmen said his colleagues want state and community policing to tackle rising security challenges in the country.
Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State recalled that the security situation of the country has worsened in recent years with kidnapping for ransom among other crimes making headlines.
According to him, calls for the creation of state police have been a controversial topic, consequently, his colleagues from 16 other states are backing the establishment of state and community policing.
This in his words, was part of the decisions taken by the Southern Governors’ Forum which met in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday.
“So, that was some of things we discussed. We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“We spoke with one voice in support of regional security outfits which almost all regions have set up and that are working hand in glove with the law enforcement agencies and providing them with intelligence and support.”
Critics of state policing fear that governors may abuse it and use it as a tool for victimisation and intimidation.
However, the Ogun governor argued that state and security which state community policing will bring is crucial to the development of the country.
“If indeed, we are going to be talking about how to enhance our socio-economic development as a region,” he said, “we all know that we cannot have any meaningful development in the atmosphere of insecurity.”
He said though governors are the chief security officers of their states, they have little control of the police in their domains.
Governor Abiodun said since police commissioners take orders from and report to the Inspector General of Police, they may not be swift in responding to crimes unlike what would have happened if governors were in charge of the police.
“If the situation requires an emergency response, that lag between reporting to the IGP and coming back to us (governors) may have brought the state to some level of harm,” he said. - Channels.
Southern govs back establishment of state, community policing
Southern governors have okayed the establishment of state and community policing to tackle insecurity challenges in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Dapo Abiodun who disclosed this to pressmen said his colleagues want state and community policing to tackle rising security challenges in the country.
Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State recalled that the security situation of the country has worsened in recent years with kidnapping for ransom among other crimes making headlines.
According to him, calls for the creation of state police have been a controversial topic, consequently, his colleagues from 16 other states are backing the establishment of state and community policing.
This in his words, was part of the decisions taken by the Southern Governors’ Forum which met in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday.
“So, that was some of things we discussed. We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“We spoke with one voice in support of regional security outfits which almost all regions have set up and that are working hand in glove with the law enforcement agencies and providing them with intelligence and support.”
Critics of state policing fear that governors may abuse it and use it as a tool for victimisation and intimidation.
However, the Ogun governor argued that state and security which state community policing will bring is crucial to the development of the country.
“If indeed, we are going to be talking about how to enhance our socio-economic development as a region,” he said, “we all know that we cannot have any meaningful development in the atmosphere of insecurity.”
He said though governors are the chief security officers of their states, they have little control of the police in their domains.
Governor Abiodun said since police commissioners take orders from and report to the Inspector General of Police, they may not be swift in responding to crimes unlike what would have happened if governors were in charge of the police.
“If the situation requires an emergency response, that lag between reporting to the IGP and coming back to us (governors) may have brought the state to some level of harm,” he said. - Channels.
Southern govs back establishment of state, community policing
Southern governors have okayed the establishment of state and community policing to tackle insecurity challenges in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Dapo Abiodun who disclosed this to pressmen said his colleagues want state and community policing to tackle rising security challenges in the country.
Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State recalled that the security situation of the country has worsened in recent years with kidnapping for ransom among other crimes making headlines.
According to him, calls for the creation of state police have been a controversial topic, consequently, his colleagues from 16 other states are backing the establishment of state and community policing.
This in his words, was part of the decisions taken by the Southern Governors’ Forum which met in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday.
“So, that was some of things we discussed. We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“We spoke with one voice in support of regional security outfits which almost all regions have set up and that are working hand in glove with the law enforcement agencies and providing them with intelligence and support.”
Critics of state policing fear that governors may abuse it and use it as a tool for victimisation and intimidation.
However, the Ogun governor argued that state and security which state community policing will bring is crucial to the development of the country.
“If indeed, we are going to be talking about how to enhance our socio-economic development as a region,” he said, “we all know that we cannot have any meaningful development in the atmosphere of insecurity.”
He said though governors are the chief security officers of their states, they have little control of the police in their domains.
Governor Abiodun said since police commissioners take orders from and report to the Inspector General of Police, they may not be swift in responding to crimes unlike what would have happened if governors were in charge of the police.
“If the situation requires an emergency response, that lag between reporting to the IGP and coming back to us (governors) may have brought the state to some level of harm,” he said. - Channels.
