16 governors back state police, submit reports to FG

Sixteen   state governors have submitted reports expressing their supports for  establishing state police to the National Economic Council.

They also recommended changes to the constitution to allow for the creation of state police.

The reports were amongst documentations received at the 140th NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday titled, ‘NEC endorses take-off of $617M i-DICE programme across states.’

According to the statement, NEC is still awaiting reports from 20 states. It expressed confidence that others would support.

NEC was established by the provisions of section 153(1) and Paragraphs 18 & 19 of part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Its membership comprises the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank and other co-opted government officials.

Chaired by the Vice President, NEC meets monthly to execute its mandate of “advising the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”

Disclosing discussions at Thursday’s NEC, the Vice-President’s spokesman, Nkwocha said, the “Secretary to NEC (Mr Nebeolisa Anako) made a presentation on submissions by states on the state policing initiative. Reports have been received by 16 states on the establishment of State police. 20 states have yet to send in report. All states across the country expressed their support for the establishment of state police for the following reasons.

“States made presentations in support of the creation of state police. States recommended changes in the constitution and the current policing structure to enable the operationalisation of the initiative.”

However, no details were given about the specific states. The Vice President’s spokesperson had affirmed that the total number would be presented at the next NEC meeting even as “the compilation is still going on”.

This comes weeks after the Federal and state governments, on February 16, 2024, resolved to develop modalities to create state police to tackle the country’s security crisis.