Labour Party presidential candidate, Chibuzo Okereke, has declared support for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, but insisted it must be fully decentralised to ensure effective service delivery.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Okereke said the country’s current policing structure was no longer sustainable and was failing to protect citizens, especially in rural areas.
He acknowledged that safeguards were necessary in setting up state police. However, he warned that legislation should not be driven by fear of possible abuse by governors.
“Laws must not be made with fear and power and control as if we have already seen that the abuse is going to be happening,” he said.
According to him, the focus should be on building an organised democratic structure that allows state police to function with modern technology for better results and accountability.
“I support state police, but we must not express fear. Yes, safeguards and better risk calculation are important,” Okereke stated.
He added that Nigerians should embrace state police because of the advantages it offers in securing lives and property across states and local communities.
“We should be able to review their functionality and empower them to do their jobs,” he said.
The LP candidate lamented that the policing system in the country was fast collapsing, noting that in many rural areas, individuals and communities now contribute resources to sustain police stations.
He blamed the situation on the centralised policing model where funding, command directives and other administrative controls are vested in the federal government.
Okereke argued that decentralising police operations would bring policing closer to the people and enable faster response to security threats.
He urged the National Assembly and stakeholders to prioritise the state police debate and ensure the structure is designed to promote accountability, efficiency and service delivery.