Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) has cautioned the federal government against channeling funds for state police directly into the hands of state governments, warning that such an arrangement could repeat the controversies surrounding local government (LG) funds.
The lawmaker made the call while contributing to the debate on “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police; and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration)” on the Senate floor.
Abaribe stressed that funds for state policing must be constitutionally guaranteed and disbursed directly to an independent commission established for that purpose. This, he argued, would safeguard the funds and prevent misuse.“Funds for the state police commission must be guaranteed by the constitution and go directly to the commission so that what we are seeing today with regards to local government funds, we don’t have to see it with the police,” he said.
He expressed concern that inadequate or poorly managed funding could lead to exploitation, particularly in regions like the Southeast, where security challenges are already pronounced. “If they don’t have the requisite funding… you will now have hundred checkpoints by state people who have to fend for themselves,” Abaribe noted.
The senator, who admitted he was once opposed to state police, said the worsening insecurity across the country has forced a rethink. “Today we know that we have very serious insecurity problems that can only be solved by thinking outside the box.”He added that with states now receiving more revenue than in the past, there is a need to ensure proper oversight. “He who pays the piper will also dictate the tune,” Abaribe remarked.
The bill seeks to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment of state police as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
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