Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has made it clearly that “State Police will kill our nascent democracy.”
Okechukwu, a foundation member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), disclosed this at the weekend in Eke community to journalists at the burial ceremony of late Chief Bona Udeh, erstwhile Chairman of Udi Local Government Area in Enugu State.
He said this while reacting to question posed by journalists that now majority of our 36 State Governors have in bipartisan manner endorsed the establishment of State Police.
The APC chieftain said that his lack of support for the establishment of State Police “is because of his elementary study of the antics of dictatorship.”
He noted that his elementary study of dictatorship makes him shiver each time he thinks of what will happen to democracy if governors who had since inception of 4th Republic in 1999, acted like emperors are empowered absolutely to kill democracy.
According to him, what salvation do we earn; when careful consideration gazetted that majority of our dear governors are more or less akin to Emperors, who are constantly in the breach of fine democratic tenets and civil liberties.
The APC chieftain also said that the governors had thwarted the local councils, the working local government system and had blatantly mangled State Judiciary and State Legislatures into rubber stamps.
“My dear countrymen do we in all intents and purposes make altruistic sense to further empower Emperors? Emperors hated alternative views, abhorred popular participation and rule of law throughout the history of man.
“Our dear governors in similar manner abhorred the rule of law and popular participation; this is why they had in same bipartisan manner opposed local government autonomy, independence of state judiciary and state legislatures,” he said.
Proffering workable security solution, Okechukwu noted that as a matter of urgent national importance at this trying period, the country needed well-trained, and well-equipped Special Constabulary Police in line with Sections 105-109 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
The APC chieftain said that Special Constabulary Police should be equipped with sophisticated arsenal to contain kidnappers, terrorists and insurgents at the grassroots, without authoritarian antics.
He said the Special Constabulary Police he was advocating would be funded by Federal and State Governments, jointly recruited from indigenes of the given state in collaboration with the governors, albeit local community based with “tiny Federal strings” for necessary moderation.
“I appeal for understanding for Special Constabulary Police; as the Federal and State Governments will better fund the outfit; rather than authorising State Governors to transfer the burden of funding to our citizenry, majority of whom are trapped in multidimensional poverty.
“Whereas, one understood the metastasis of grief, helplessness, despair, despondency, and the sordid scenario of a country overwhelmed by insecurity, it will be less strategic in the midst of confusion to over tax our citizenry.
“And most importantly, also less strategic in hastily throwing away our democratic baby and the bathe water,” he added.
It will be recalled that the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr Asishana Okauru, reported that 16 state governors had earlier thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police.
They supported floating of state police as a panacea for the insecurity ravaging the different parts of the country.
Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Communication, Mr Stanley Nwaokocha, had earlier disclosed in a statement that discussions were held at 140th meeting of the National Economic Council on the matter.
Nwaokocha noted that 16 out of the 36 states had already submitted their reports on the state policing initiative and that the remaining 20 governors were already in the process of submitting their reports.
“The official position of the forum is in favour of state police. I don’t know of any state that is not in support of state police,” he said.
