The bill for the creation of State Police has been passed by the National Assembly, and with the assurance of its passage by the State Assemblies, it only indicates that State Police is an idea whose time has come. However, the desire to ensure that a new problem is not created in the process of solving an old one was the focus of the ARISE News Town Hall Meeting held recently in Abuja. Alex Enumah reports.
The ARISE News Town Hall Meeting, held last Thursday in the nation’s capital, Abuja had in attendance critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, with one single goal in mind: ensuring that the proposed State Police reduces, if not completely eradicates, the lingering insecurity in the country.
The Town Hall, tagged: Building National Consensus for State Police and National Security was co-chaired by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). The Guest Speaker was former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak. Lead discussants included serving and former governors, federal lawmakers, security chiefs, legal experts, and rights activists, among others.
The consensus among all participants was that State Police is indeed the right way to go if the country must overcome its current security challenges. Although it was observed that the initiative alone cannot resolve insecurity, there is also a need to address the root causes of insecurity.
