Amidst renewed deliberations by the Federal and State Governments on the suitability of State Police in tackling the growing insecurity in the land, some human rights and Pro-democracy groups have rejected the idea, saying that it would only amount to creating a “private militia for governors”
The Campaign for Democracy (CD) in South East and Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders Foundation (HURIDE) rising from their combined strategic meeting held in Enugu, noted that State Governors would use State Police against their perceived Political enemies.
In the communique signed by High Chief Dede Uzor A Uzor, Executive Director, HURIDE and Chairman, CD, in the South East, the rights groups vehemently disagreed with the idea of setting up State Police, insisting that Nigeria is not ripe for it.
The groups said what the Governors currently do with the ordinary touts they have recruited, oppressing, manhandling, maiming and in extreme cases, killing their perceived political opponents and the ordinary man on the street, showed that they do not have the capacity to control state Police.
“The same way they hold down Local Governments under their feet, using their allocations the way they want, they would manipulate the State Police in the same way they like.
“Most Governors refused to conduct Local Government elections. Those who conducted just did it for a formality. Nothing is working. They are still controlling the resources of their Local Governments.
“They just fix their cronies there and utilise the money for themselves not for the public,” the groups alleged.
“So, if the governors even deployed private militia now in a negative way, what of when the constitution is amended to give them some degree of powers to control State Police?” they queried.
The groups posited that if the State Police becomes imperative to help curb insecurity, it should be tailored in a manner they will still take orders from Abuja,alleging that some of the insecurities in various parts of the country were created by Governors because of their political ambitions.
The rights groups said most Governors in the country outrightly siphon their State Internally Generated Revenues (IGR), querying what the Governors have been doing with significantly improved revenue allocation due to the removal of subsidies on fuel in recent times.
“If they couldn’t manage these things, is it potentially volatile State Police they would manage?” Dede Uzor queried.
