Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called for far-reaching judicial, fiscal and institutional reforms to ensure the success of the proposed State Police system, saying the initiative must go beyond creating new security structures to addressing the legal and financial frameworks that will sustain them.
Speaking at the THISDAY/ARISE TV Town Hall Meeting on the State Police Bill, Governor Abiodun described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a committed federalist whose support for the devolution of policing powers reflected his long-standing belief in true federalism.
The governor said history would be kind to President Tinubu for demonstrating the political will to decentralise policing, noting that respected elder statesman Chief Olusegun Osoba and Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, had both attested to the President’s federalist credentials.
Mr Abiodun, however, stressed that the ongoing legislative process must answer fundamental questions about why the existing Nigeria Police Force has struggled to deliver optimal results and how both the federal and state police systems can complement each other effectively.
He argued that a more efficient state police system would inevitably lead to more arrests and prosecutions, making it imperative to strengthen the judiciary to guarantee speedy trials and justice.
