Onofiok Luke: Reasons why state policing bill should be signed.
The bill for Nigerian states to establish and control their own security outfit has passed the second reading at the House Of Representatives. It is titled “Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap. C23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for State Police and other state government security services to enhance security and preservation of lives and properties in Nigeria; and other related matters”. it’s sponsored by Onofiok Luke.
While giving his reasons for sponsoring this bill, Onofiok highlighted in Nigeria, with population totaling about 200 million, only 400,000 Police are available. According to him, this development is against United Nations recommendation of 1 Police for each 400 citizens.
He also pointed that moving item concerning police and other security services to the concurrent list to enable both Federal and State government legislate on them will help to abate the security challenges that have been threatening the nation many years after Independence.
Making a reference to the part of the constitution which recognizes Nigeria as a federal state, he added that granting the state governments the allowance to establish their own security outfit will bring Nigeria into original constitutional contemplation of a federal state.
He however reminded the government of it’s basic responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, and added that the inability of the Nigerian government to conquer security challenges is a pointer to the loopholes in the country’s security architecture.