Iyobosa Uwugiaren reviews the Town Hall on Building a Consensus for State Police, organised by THISDAY/Arise News recently, arguing that the true measure of the event’s success will not lie in the quality of the discussions alone, but in whether the ideas generated influence the constitutional amendments and policy decisions that now lie ahead
Speakers at the THISDAY/ARISE News Town Hall on Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security commended the Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, for convening what many described as a timely and nationally significant national conversation.
Their commendations, however, went beyond acknowledging the organisers. They reflected the importance of a forum that assembled governors, federal lawmakers, security chiefs, policy experts and international security specialists to deliberate on one of the most consequential governance issues confronting Nigeria today.
More importantly, the town hall revealed that the national conversation on state police had shifted remarkably—from debating whether Nigeria should establish state police to determining how such a system could be designed to strengthen security without undermining democracy and the rule of law.
