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Tag: STATE POLICE

  • Who is afraid of state police?

    Who is afraid of state police?

    There is a renewed agitation for state police by stakeholders. But, it is believed that efforts are ongoing to frustrate the idea. Who is afraid of state police? Asks MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE.

    The renewed agitation for state police by protagonists of federalism has polarised the polity.

    On one side of the coin are those who believe that state and community policing will  foster security at the grassroots. On the other side are those who believe that state police will become a tool of oppression in the hands of governors.

    The mixed feelings are understandable. The protagonists explained that state police is grassroots-oriented, noting it will enable policemen who are familiar with local terrains to secure the environment.

    According to them, when indigenes of a particular area serve as security agents in their areas, there would be no hiding place for perpetrators of heinous crime.

    This, according to them, had been demonstrated in the past. Pro-state police agitators  believe that, under the system, policemen usually have a way of linking certain crimes to its perpetrators and when they move swiftly to apprehend suspects, they were never found wanting or missing the mark.

    Despite the obvious advantage of the policing option, those against it would herald disaster and confusion. They believe that politicians will hijack the process to pursue a narrow agenda.

    In their view,  past experience has shown that when state police was in the vogue, the country had sleepless nights. Political actors at the regional or state level used it against perceived foes. The performance of state police left a sore taste in the mouth because it was used to haunt opponents of ruling political parties to avert their defeat at the general election.

    According to Afenifere, pan-Yoruba socio-political group, state police is the answer to insecurity in the land. The group said it is wrong for governors to rely on the order of the Police Inspector-General for the deployment of the police to restore law and order at the state level.

    Crime is soaring across communities, making them to raise vigilante groups to wade off criminal activities in the neighbourhood. Vigilante groups are voluntary organizations. They receive little or no financial reward from government other than the supply of torch lights, bows and arrows, locally made guns and cutlasses. The performance of the groups have motivated the renewed clamour for an institutionalised security outfit, especially state police, to protect the environment.

    However, in some communities, the bad behaviour of members of the vigilante groups has led to their disbandment. Thus, opponents of state police have linked the operations of vigilante groups to the state police. According to them, the only difference is that state policemen put on uniforms while vigilante members put on charms and amulets in rag tag clothing.

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, said the country is not ripe for state police. To make the police effective, he called for improved funding. He said the country lacked the maturity and understanding to manage state police.

    Idris noted the agitations by some groups for the creation of state police, but argued that the federal police was better.

    He said: “I sincerely believe that the federal police is still the best for the country and with improved funding the challenges of crime will be addressed.Those agitating for state police should consider the level of our political maturity.”

    Idris said the passage of the bill on Nigeria Police Trust Fund would contribute remarkably to the effectiveness of the paramilitary.

    He urged Nigerians to propel the National Assembly to expedite action for the speedy passage of the bills, noting that, if the force was given adequate attention, civil disorder and societal malaise would be tackled headlong.

    Idris added: “It is my sincere believe that once the Police Trust Fund Bill is passed into law, the necessary finances required to effectively police the nation will be available.” He said this would also reduce the pressure on state governments in the funding of the police.

    Idris noted that the Nigeria Police are one of the “least paid” security organisations in the world in spite, of operating under the UN ratio of 1:400.

    He added that, with the ratio of one policeman to 602 people,  the Nigeria Police was operating far below the United Nation’s ratio.

    Idris stressed: “About 10,000 police officers have been recruited recently to fill the gap but this is still a far cry. To meet up with the UN ratio of 1:400, the Nigeria police requires additional 155,000 Police Officers for the next five years.”

    The Inspector-General said a request to recruit 31,000 policemen had been sent to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.

    The IGP said the management was making efforts to establish structures that would bridge the communication gap between the police and members of the public.

    Idris called for the establishment of the Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service (NPBS), adding that it would shrink the widening communication gap for better service.

    Experts say the Federal Government may buy the idea of state police. They expressed hope because government could no longer pretend that the call for state police is a non- issue.

    Recently  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) disclosed that plans were underway by the Federal Government examine the agitations for state police.

    Osinbajo said the plan may be implemented very soon so that policing can be more effective in the remote parts of the country.

    Prof. Osinbajo, who spoke throuh his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu at a book presentation in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said community policing will bear good fruits.

    A civil rights organisation, Save Lagos Group (SLG), condemned moves by governors to establish state police in their domains, if the constitution is amended to permit it.  The group described the move as ill-motivated, selfish, wicked and unconstitutional.

    SLG urged Nigerians to rise against the plan, warning that they would bear the brunt, if the governors were allowed to have their way.

    The convener, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman, urged the National Assembly to ignore the idea, saying that it is counter-productive..

    He said: “All men of goodwill must stand up to stop this ‘shenanigan’ being carried out by the state chief executives, all in the name of an illegal entity, which is unknown to any law of the land.

    “We are opposed to the idea and the move by these governors who are being urged on by the power that be. Our opposition is based on the current realities in the various states  where the governors have constituted themselves into despotic emperors.

    “The little policing structure that they have been using in their respective states have turned to punitive tools with which they have been using against the hapless and powerless people of their states who are daily subjected to harrowing brutality.”

    Sulaiman made refrences to Lagos State,  where he said men of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and the newly established Neighbourhood Safety Corps have become  agencies with faulty operation.

    He said: “We are daily witnesses to the atrocities being carried out by KAI and men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on the people of Lagos everyday.

    However, some observers disagreed with Sulaiman, saying those castigating Lagos State Government efforts to bring sanity to the Centre of Excellence through its paramilitary service have missed point.

    They said Lagos State provides some of the best paramilitary services in the country, stressing that  LASTMA and KAI have contributed their quota to security.

    Afenifere Publicity Secretary Yinka Odumakin also disagreed with the Inspector-General, saying that “Nigeria is over ripe for state police.”

    He said in country where there is cultural diversity,  religious pluralism and multi-ethnic composition, the best way to relate is the adoption of true federalism.

    Odumakin added: “It is very clear that in a multi cultural society, the best way to live is through federalism, where the states and federal government could make law on certain components.

    “Since states are making laws they must have their police to enforce it.  You cannot have a single police in a federation. I can say that a day hardly pass without people reading about the rising level of crime in the country. This is because the federal police are not capable of handling crime at the local level.

    “We have seen what the vigilantes have done against Boko Haram in the Northeast, they have been more effective than the regular police, and this is because they know the terrain.

    “Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku said when he was growing up in Adamawa; there were only five policemen in the community. He said they did their job effectively because they knew the terrain and the people. They could easily fish out criminal when they acted against civil order.”

    Although there is no consensus on state police, analysts say the advantage of policing the countries through the states far outweighs the disadvantages.

    Nigeria is the only prominent member of the Forum of Federations that is maintaining a supposedly federal structure with only one police force to maintain law and order in a population of more than 170 million spread across 36 federating units and 774 local government councils.

    The United Kingdom has 45 territorial police and three special police. This does not include non-police law enforcement agencies or bodies of constables not constituted as police forces. The United States is exemplary in this regard.

    Advocates of federalism believe that the Federal Government should begin the sensitisation that will lead to the establishment of state police. The fears of the die-hard unitarists should be addressed as both the federal and state police will let the world see Nigeria as member of civilised community.

  • State police: Nigeria’s silent albatross

    State police: Nigeria’s silent albatross

    The Nigeria Police Force is a creation of statute by virtue of Section 214 of the Nigeria Constitution of 1999, as amended which states that:

    There shall be established a force to be known as The Nigeria Police Force and subject to the provision of this section, no other Police Force shall be established for Nigeria, or any part thereof”.

    The Constitution of Nigeria is a product of the collective will of the people of Nigeria. The preamble to the grundnorm also states:

    “We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolved: to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God.

    And for the purpose of promoting the good government and the welfare of all persons in our country…do hereby make, enact, and give to ourselves the following Constitution

    Therefore, the provisions of the constitution which is a reflection of the general will and a collective aspiration of the people of Nigeria is sacrosanct and upholding the spirit and intendment ought to be a religion. One of its intendments is that the Nigeria Police should be an institution to foster unity.

    From its amalgamation into a national force on April 1, 1930 under the command of an Inspector-General of Police, the force has fostered and nurtured unity. It is pertinent to mention that Nigeria did not spontaneously declare a civil war in 1967. Rather, it treaded with care and caution by taking police action to make room for peaceful negotiation.

    It is also pertinent to advert our minds to the abuse of the native authority police in the 1960s that led to the Agbekoya uprising against the federal authority, the Andokas, a police local authority controlled by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) which was misused against political rivals. This led to the Willinks Minorities Commissions that visited Nigeria from 1957-58 and reported to the Constitution Reform Committee in London. Thereafter, it was resolved that the control of the Police should rest on federal hands.

    When an existing law is to be amended, the mischief to be cured must be identified. In the instant case, the fear of the absolute control of the police is allayed by Section 215 sub Section (4) where it states that: subject to the Provisions of this section, the Governor of a state or such Commissioner of the state as he may authorize in that behalf, may give to the Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and order.

    The above express provision is adequate for the provision of security for the citizens of the state. It is adequate when the intention is with respect to the maintenance and security of public safety and public order.

    The above provision is powerful enough and sufficient to execute lawful duties, control crime and secure public safety and order, it is only inadequate when the executive has his own purpose to serve.

    Let us analyze this provision a bit with reference to the interpretation of statutes. In his book Drafting Conveyances and Wills, C. O. Adubi emphasizes the deep difference between SHALL and MAY when he states:

    The use of “SHALL” indicates that the legal subject is under an obligation to act in accordance with the terms of the provisions; if an obligation is not to be imposed, shall should not be used. The proper word to use is MAY. The use of MAY gives the legal subject authority to do the specified act; but the legal subject MAY or MAY not do so according to his discretion.

    It is doubtful if the absolute power being sought for now under State Police is for crime control, securing of public safety and public order within the state.

    The reason for this doubt is that before the chief executive of any state will decide that an act of commission or omission is a crime in a state, he is expected to have consulted his Council of Traditional Rulers, his security council and advisers, all of whom he has the power and access to consult before giving such order to the Commissioner of Police or “such Commissioner of the government of the state as he may authorize in that behalf”

    Assuming but not conceding that the consensus of all the levels of assessment and advisers is wrong, the Commissioner of Police is not to openly disobey the chief executive.

    But the provision of section 215 (4) gives the Commissioner an escape route. It states;

    Provided that before carrying out any such directions under the fore-going provisions of this sub-section, the Commissioner of Police may request that the matter be referred to the President or such Minister of the  Federation as may be authorized in that behalf by the President for his directions. 

    It is reasonable to infer from the above that “such Minister of the government of the Federation” in this context is principally the Inspector-General of Police.

    It is pertinent to draw attention to the express provision of section 215 (5) which states:

    The question whether any, and if so what, directions have been given under this section shall not be inquired into in any court. This is an ouster clause that denies the court jurisdiction in this executive decision. Jurisdiction is at the threshold to any judicial enquiry. It is fundamental.

    The second leg of the provision of section 215 (4) gives the Commissioner of Police an escape route to avoid disobeying the chief executive and protects him from carrying out unlawful or politically motivated directives. Hence, the use of the word MAY as opposed to the word SHALL in the first leg.

    If the Commissioner of Police refers the matter to the Inspector-General of Police, and the Inspector-General of Police takes directions from the President after all due consultations, that decision is final.

    In what circumstance can the spirit of this provision be invoked?

    If some squads of criminals in Maiduguri are moving towards Government House to attack it, can the second leg be invoked for the Commissioner of Police to turn a blind eye, take transport to Abuja for consultation before stopping them, even when he knows this a crime? The answer is no. Also, if some criminals are about to rob a bank, should the Commissioner of Police standby and run to Abuja before he can prevent the crime? He will be guilty of ineptitude, act of omission etc. Hence, these two provisions are adequate and sufficient to provide public safety and public order for the citizens of a state.

    The growth and development of Nigeria’s constitutional reforms have created an enduring flexible constitution that can cope with the diversity of Nigeria’s cultural differences and thereby strengthen the unity needed for Nigeria as a strong member of the African comity of nations. This is without prejudice to the fact that we have to jointly and collectively confront and remove injustice by harnessing our collective will and iron determination, to evolve strategies and action to confront injustice in the polity. Goodness is goodness and badness is badness. No other name for each.

    Even now that the deployment of the Nigeria Police is still subject to constitutional provisions and processes, thugs sponsored by subterranean   mentors still invade and scatter Houses of Assembly in Nigeria.

    Even with the control provided by section 215 (4) as stated above,  suspected agents of a state executive still invaded a court of law and disturbed judicial proceedings. Yet, some Nigerians are demanding for unfettered power for state executives. This is why Stephen F. Hayward in his book Churchill on Leadership says “health, intelligence and shrewdness are all good things in the abstract but they are bad things, in a bad person. Health, intelligence and shrewdness were bad things for Hitler because they enabled him to serve evil ends”.

    We should not behave like the moth fly. The moth fly hated its husband and threatened to burn its pregnancy. Anywhere the moth fly sees light in the village; it would struggle to enter the flame and would get stuck to the lantern or the flame. The moth fly ends up destroying itself before destroying the pregnancy that belongs to the husband.

    Do not make laws ad-hominiem – laws made with a particular person or group of persons are usually not objective.

    Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the legend and apostle of Nigeria’s unity says: I would rather be on the side of unity than to be on the side of disunity.

    At present, more than 50 percent of the population of the rank and file in a Police State Command is either indigenes of the state or of its neighbouring state and can speak the predominant language in the state. This is the cadre that interacts more closely with the indigenes and more conversant with the customs and traditions of the area. The senior officers are there to ensure that the custom and traditions are not repugnant to equity and can be of universal application, fairness and good conscience.

    To set up State Police between Nasarawa and Benue States or between Cross River and Imo around Iwukem /Azumini is to bury a time bomb.

    Let us not be copy cats at all times. Our constitutional development must be a reflection of our past experiences and hope for a united Nigeria devoid of oppression and injustice. That is what should demand our priority attention for now our constitutions must endeavor to be autochthonous.

    Between 1985 to 1986 during the time of trial and error with the Police Force. The fourth columnist came up with the novel and plausible policy that all police men from the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police be deployed to serve in their state of origin. In less than a year thereafter there was a national complaint of tribalism and nepotism against most of the officers. No sooner the policy was tried than it was reversed. Security is not a trial and error affair in a country in which a permanent Secretary could not safely travel from Osun state to Abuja before she was trailed, shot on the head and matcheted. A country where worshippers could be callously shot and killed desecrating a sanctuary.

    While there may be some who need State Police to attain some positive ends, one cannot rule out some who need State Police to enable them lock up their political opponents three days before election only to get such detainees released after election, given the propensity of some African leaders to engage in the breach of the constitution rather than its observance.

    What a relief when a traveller to Bayelsa State runs into a group of policemen along the Zaria-Sokoto highway and he hears one of them say; anua e or te bra or Teju ke imomu menenghan or Te ke memuniya . Similarly when a Sokoto traveller runs into a team of policemen between Port Harcourt-Yenagoa highway and one of them says yaya kake or ina zua – or where are you travelling to? At least the traveller will feel at home for that moment.

    The most beautiful and attractive birds in the forest are the multi-coloured.

    We should emphasize those things that unite us and collectively confront the vices that divide us. State police is a step backwards. It is a retrogressive step toward nepotism and tribalism; it is a blind march towards disintegration.

     

    • Mr. Abayomi Oluwaoje Akeremale, a retired Commissioner of Police practices Law in Abuja.

     

  • Nigeria not ripe for state police, say Idris, others

    Nigeria not ripe for state police, say Idris, others

    The Inspector- General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and other eminent Nigerians said on Friday the country was not ripe for state police.

    They insisted state police would compound the country’s security challenges.

    They all spoke at a public lecture organised by the IGP in Lagos.

    The theme of the lecture was: “Providing Strategic Solutions to Emergent Security Challenges: The Essentials of Synergy Amongst Security Agencies and Civil Populace.”

    Speakers at the event attended by Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Dambazau, Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, former IGPs, Musiliu Smith and Sunday Ehindero, and heads of military and para-military establishments among others, insisted that the country should concern itself more with ensuring adequate funding for the police.

    They recalled that the police had attempted the strategy in the 1980s and 90s, when it deployed officers from the rank of Deputy Superintendent (DSP) and below to their respective local government areas which failed abysmally.

    According to them, one of the reasons it never succeeded was because those officers were caught between performing their constitutional roles and aiding their kinsmen, who found themselves in one criminal situation or the other.

    Commending the IGP for the lecture, Ambode who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, said it was quite reflective of the nation’s desire.

    Admitting that the issue of state police has not gained desired consensus, the governor insisted that it was the solution to the country’s security challenges.

    He said: “I am sure that the guest speaker who is widely acclaimed in the field of security administration and management, Prof. Etannibi Alemika, would provide a window that should lead to the development of strategies that are appropriate for a knowledge and technology driven 21st century policing.

    “The nature and sophistication of crime and criminal activities changes in direct proportion to human advancement. Developing effective solution to emerging security challenges must therefore take into consideration, the deployment of appropriate technology and strengthening the bond with the people through community policing.

    “Although the issue of state police has not gained the desired consensus, I believe strongly that it is the panacea for effective policing that is community based. Given the complexity of security challenges, the imperative for a safe and secured environment for investment, we established the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC).

    “This initiative is driven by our firm conviction that credible intelligence is the bedrock of an effective security strategy. This organisation, with membership recruited from the local community, will interface between the security agencies and the public by providing intelligence for crime prevention.

    “It is a common knowledge that the numerical strength of the Nigeria Police as at today falls short of the minimum requirements relative to our population. For instance, Lagos State, with a population of over 22 million, has less than 30,000 officers and men.

    “While this shortfall can be bridged, to some extent, with the deployment of appropriate technology, the need for a close relationship between the people and the police hinged on mutual respect and trust cannot be over emphasised.

    “The unfortunate tragedies and trauma caused by the ‘Badoo’ crime incidents in Ikorodu area is a challenge that government has responded to with the community playing a major role in support of security agencies. The same can also be said about the menace of kidnapping, which is becoming a malignant security issue.

    “We have recorded appreciable progress in dealing with these social vices and we would not relent until these criminal phenomena and the likes are uprooted wherever they exist within the nooks and crannies of the state.

    “We should utilise the opportunities afforded by this platform to thoroughly examine the peculiarities  of security challenges in Nigeria and proffer suggestions that would lead to the development of strategies that would help in curbing crime and other social vices especially in the metropolitan areas with high population convergence.”

    Earlier, the IGP noted that proliferation of security agencies was cresting unhealthy rivalry in the system, urging that government should adequately fund exiting ones to do their constitutional duties.

    He said that the police crime prevention and detection strategies have worked since his assumption of office, citing the arrests and/or death of suspected kidnappers and armed robbers.

    “Most heinous crimes especially kidnapping and armed robberies are being detected with great success. More than 1,000 kidnap and armed robbery suspects have been arrested and over 270 of them in July alone. Many of them are being prosecuted in various courts across the country. Efforts are daily made to arrest other suspected kidnappers and bandits in various parts of the country,” Idris said.

     

     

  • Governors, state police and political immaturity

    The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) finally and unequivocally indicated last week its support for the restructuring of Nigeria with particular reference to the establishment of state police. The announcement of this support came after the forum met in Abuja on Wednesday, with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, in attendance. Though the police rehashed a robust argument against the idea, insisting that the country was not politically mature for it, the governors went ahead to constitute a committee to look into the modalities for implementing what they believe to be the answer to ‘mounting insecurity’ in the country.

    In terms of specifics, Mr Idris had argued that a federal police was still the best structure for policing Nigeria. He also suggested that with expanded recruitment totalling some 150,000 policemen over five years, adequate funding probably through the agency of a Police Reform Trust Fund, and the deployment of modern technology in place of manual policing, policing would be far more efficient than it is today. The IGP did not spell out why he thought the country was politically immature for state police. But in reiterating that the current police structure is federal, he misses the constitutional point by a wide margin. The police structure today, constitutionally speaking, is unitary rather than federal, and reactive and presumptuous rather than proactive. What ails the police today is not just funding gap or personnel shortage. The problem is deeper and more complicated than police IGs have made it out to be.

    In the estimation of the IGP, the case he and other stakeholders before him have made for the police is persuasive enough. He recently reprised this argument while speaking before the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs at a public hearing on a bill for an Act to Establish “The Nigeria Police Reform Trust Fund” and a “Bill for an Act to Amend the Explosives Act of 1964.” According to him: “…Out of the total sum of N1,164,405,193,431 proposed for capital expenditure by the police between 2012 and 2016, N64,999,567,375 was appropriated out of which N40,474,332,673 was cash-backed, leaving a balance of N24,552,234,702 yet to be released till date…From the estimated sum of N19.9 billion required for fuelling of 14,306 vehicles, including 3,115 motorcycles nationwide, only N809 million was released; out of N7.04 billion required for maintenance of vehicles only N486 million was released while out of N14.5 billion required for uniforms and accoutrements (kits), only N1 billion was released… The police require N700 billion for rehabilitation of existing barracks/quarters; N200 billion for local travels and transport; N1.133 trillion yearly for procurement of arms and ammunitions, purchase of new vehicles, gun boats, helicopters and other technological needs as well as N200 billion for installation of CCTV cameras, database and video cameras in all police stations across the country as required by Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 to build a functional crime laboratories and other investigative aids.”

    In summary, said the IGP, the police would need about N560 billion for the next five years to turn things around and give Nigeria a fully functional and effective police force. He bases this summary financial need on the report submitted by the Parry Osayande and M.D. Yusufu police reform committee reports which submitted in 2008 that the police needed about N2.8 trn to make positive and desired changes in the police force. That study may be some nine years old, and pricing may have changed in ways that probably render many of the underlying assumptions incorrect, but on the whole, should the police be availed of the humongous amount they have requested, either directly through normal budgetary processes or through special trust funds, some positive changes are doubtless bound to be recorded.

    However, the trust fund solution is still a long way off and even uncertain in its final composition. And as far as the nation’s annual budgets are concerned, it is inconceivable that the police would ever receive a quarter of what they need or ask for. Meanwhile, insecurity has grown in scope and sophistication, as policing has lagged dangerously and sometimes incompetently far behind. In addition, what worsens the problem is the structure of the police, a problem the police leadership is reluctant to admit, let alone confront. The policing needs of the country are diverse, complex and often indisputably localised. For decades, the country had addressed these diverse and complex needs with just one unresponsive and banal template. While the arguments of Mr Idris are sensible and not misplaced, they are not far-reaching enough to address a problem that constantly morphs indistinguishably along state and regional lines. The current policing structure indeed pretends not to recognise that most states have in one way or the other constituted state police units to suit their own local needs. Indeed, while the country lives in denial on policing and security issues, states have gone ahead, sometimes rapidly, and at other times peremptorily, to lay the structure for the operation of federalism in its classical and constitutional sense. These observations cannot be denied. It is perhaps time the police and the presidency recognised the limits and dangers of a unitary government when the constitution pretends to federalism.

    The Governors’ Forum appears more realistic than both the police and the presidency in grappling with the country’s increasingly dysfunctional democratic processes. By constituting a committee to address the policing needs of states, particularly the restructuring of Nigeria’s unitary police structure, the governors have shown that they appreciate where the shoe is pinching them. However, the NGF special purpose committee is just the first tentative step in a process that is certain to grind on for quite some time. It is clear that the National Assembly is engaged in constitutional reform, and though that effort has yet to bear fruits, it seems this time, it will not be labour lost. Governors are bound to have some influence over the constitutional reform process kick-started by the National Assembly. Consequently, it may already appear that state police is one topic on which there will be early and fairly less controversial consensus.

    But whether at the Governors’ Forum definitive level or National Assembly procedural reform level, there will be effort to understand why there are fears about the sobriety and maturity of states and their chief executives in managing the enormous powers state police would confer. It is to be expected that safeguards would be built into the system. Given the irresponsibility of some state chief executives, weak and conniving Houses of Assembly, and sometimes ingratiating judiciary, fears of misuse of police powers may not be unfounded. But the world is changing, and few things can be done behind closed doors and out of earshot in the age of social media.

    More importantly, citizens and civil society groups are maturing in the art of claiming and enforcing their rights. These processes are now thought to be irreversible, even in totalitarian regimes. One of the fears that accompanied and threatened to vitiate the decolonisation process was whether the independence movements had produced enough mature leaders and democrats capable of projecting their newly acquired powers in healthy ways. Those fears did not stop the independence movements nor the consummation of the decolonisation process. It is becoming apparent that no reservations nor trepidations can stop the rewriting of a unitary constitution into a federal constitution.

    The Governors’ Forum should be encouraged to see the changes they are proposing through to the end. In the same manner, whatever is proposed by the National Assembly concerning state police should in the final analysis be harmonised with the governors’ proposals. The best the police can do is to see how well they can integrate into what is destined to be a new form of policing in Nigeria. That new destination is not far away.

  • ARG backs calls for restructuring, state police

    ARG backs calls for restructuring, state police

    The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) yesterday backed calls for restructuring to save the country from a looming implosion following cries of marginalisation and separatist’s agitations.

    ARG’s Chairman Olawale Oshun made the group’s position known in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at a Town Hall Dialogue with the theme: “State of the nation: A conversation with ARG Leadership and Yoruba Intelligentsia.”

    Oshun said Nigeria must do away with the unitary government shrouded in a veil of federalism, where the Federal Government controls majority of  the resources to the disadvantage of the federating units.

    He added that only those profiting from the flawed federal structure being operated in Nigeria would oppose calls for restructuring, stressing that were the  late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to be alive today to observe the fate that has befallen Yorubaland, he would surely weep over it.

    “The over-bearing power of the Federal Government is killing the states and local governments. States are incapacitated, they should be allowed to control their resources to develop themselves instead of being tied to the apron strip of the Federal Government.

    “Everything is collapsing because everybody solely depends on what is coming from the Federal Government to survive and if we don’t restructure, we will continue to remain where we are today.

    “Those who are against restructuring are those who are benefitting from the rots in government. The Federal Government must cease to control resources of the states.

    “If Yoruba leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and others were to be alive today to see what is happening to the Yoruba nation today, they will weep for us,” he said.

    He, however, advised Nigerians to go about the calls for restructuring peacefully,  saying the country must return to the regional government, where each region would develop at its own pace.

    According to him,  the Federal Government lacked the capacity to harness the country’s resources for its rapid socio-economic growth.

    “We need restructuring to progress and develop. The situation where the Federal Government will collect everything and beginning to give states small things to develop their states, we need to change from that. Regions should take care of their resources for their growth,” Oshun said.

    Also, a renowned columnist, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, urged  Yoruba nation to wake up from its slumber, declaring  that the race was living on past glory.

    Mrs. Ademola- Okateju, who was the  keynote speaker, noted that the Yoruba nation became the conscience of the country through education, but lamented that the region has now taken the back seat.

    Speaking on “The Knowledge of Now: Pathways for the Yoruba,” she said the education sector started witnessing setback after the discovery of oil in the 70s, noting that “Nigeria failed to plan for the future”.

    She blamed the electorate for encouraging the nation’s politicians to exploit them by selling their votes.

    “A society gets the kinds of leaders they deserve. Our electorate are responsible for the rots in the country today; they encourage our leaders to steal and exploit them by selling their votes to the highest bidder.

    “People are not responsible; they have refused to hold the leaders accountable. But rather, they sing-praise corrupt leaders because of financial gains,” she said.

     

     

     

     

     

    The Afenifere, a pan Yoruba socio- cultural organisation, also joined other Nigerians to demand for the restructuring of the federation, fair and equitable resource control and distribution, establishment of state police and reformation of the nation’s judiciary to enhance rapid development as well as stem the tide of all forms of agitations.

    Acting State Chairman, the Ogun State Chapter of Afenifere Otunba Kunle Makekodunmi made the group’s position known at their  meeting at the  Ogbo Ijebu- Ode country home of the Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, where Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Senator Ayo Otegbola among others were in attendance.

    The group mourned the passage of Mrs. Omowunmi Akande, wife of former Osun State Governor Chief Bisi Akande, by observing a minute silence for the peaceful repose of her soul.

  • George: State police to tackle insecurity

    George: State police to tackle insecurity

    •PDP chieftain flays breaches of Lagos masterplans

    Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman Chief Olabode George has called for the establishment of state police to tackle the rising cases of insecurity.

    At a conference yesterday in Lagos, titled: “Our paradise is slipping away”, George said the wastage of lives by a cult group known as “Badoo” in Ikorodu and environs of Lagos State had heightened the need for state police.

    He added that the full weight of the law should be brought to bear on apprehended criminals.

    The PDP chieftain noted that if states were allowed to have their police side-by-side with the federal  police, cases of insecurity will be reduced to the minimum.

    “Nigeria needs to be restructured, to allow the states have their police, the local police understand  the terrain and would go after the criminals in their hideout.”

    He explained that 40 days after some school children were kidnapped in Epe, the government has not been able to secure their release from their captors.

    “It is the responsibility of the Lagos State government to ensure that these school children are returned alive to their parents.

    “The state has the resources to tackle insecurity, using technology to search the nooks and crannies of the state. These criminals live among us. They can be fished out with the use of satellites. Nobody should play politics with the lives of these children because they are neither PDP or All Progressives Congress (APC) members.

    “It’s really worrisome that the school children have not been seen. The PDP will support any step taken to ensure that they are returned home to their parents in good health.”

    George expressed concerned that the Lagos State masterplans had been impaired, noting that drainages and other outlays could no longer serve their purposes.

    “The incessant rainfall in the last few days has revealed a lot of structural flaws in the guiding vision and in the administrative focus of Lagos State.

    From Ikoyi to the farthest reaches of Epe, Lagosians are being drowned in a stubborn persistent thundering wave of endless flood.

    “Yes the floods, like some incorrigible rushing currents of an angry river, have virtually intruded into the most sacred sanctum of our homes.

    “Thousands have been rendered homeless; hundreds of millions of properties have been destroyed. Lagos is indeed in a sorry, mournful phase. Homes are being destroyed. Roofs are shattered and vehicles drowned in the sweeping rush of floods.

    “In our greed and selfish motivations, we are infringing upon the laws of nature. We are chasing the lagoon away in feverish and selfish paces. But water will always find its level. No one can alter the laws of nature. Nature is now rising up to affirm itself. And we cannot fight back unless we rectify our ways.”

  • IBB backs state police, more power for states

    IBB backs state police, more power for states

    Ex-military leader: secession, hate speeches bad for our country

    Former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) yesterday joined the league of Nigerians calling for the restructuring of the polity to give states more power.

    Many groups, including governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have voted for the restructuring of the country—to douse the agitation for secession and for equity.

    Gen. Babangida was the Chief of Army Staff in the Muhammadu Buhari military government that toppled the civilian government of President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983.

    But 18 months after, on August 27, 1985, he led the palace coup that edged out Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters (second-in-command), the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon. He ruled as Military President till August 27, 1993, when he was forced to “step aside”.

    He ran a political transition that ended with the election of the late Chief Moshood Abiola on June 12, 1993. Although adjudged widely as Nigeria’s freest and fairest ever, the election was inconclusive after results had been released in all the states. Babangida annulled the election.

    In a statement he personally signed yesterday, Gen. Babangida canvassed:

    • devolution of power to states;
    • adoption of state police;
    • doing away with federal roads;
    • rejection of secession and hate speeches; and
    • a caution for the media.

    He said the “drums of war are easy to beat, but their rhythms are difficult to dance”.

    He said there was nothing romantic about war because “war is bad, condemnable and must be avoided”.

    Babangida said the fact that Nigeria had not realised its potentials as a great nation was not enough reason for  it to want to demolish its foundation.

    But he said it was time to restructure the country, with devolution of more powers to states.

    He also said the nation was ripe for state police because policing has become sophisticated.

    Babangida, in a statement he personally signed, said the Civil War between 1967 and 1970 was preceded by similar hate speeches which the country had been witnessing in the past few weeks.

    He said he cried out because he is still nursing the pains of the injury he sustained during the Civil War.

    The former military leader urged the media to exercise caution in their reportage of volatile comments.

    He said: “Nigeria, my dear country, is not a stranger to crisis, nor is she immune to it. In a profound sense, she can be said to have been created out of crisis, a nation state that will continue to strive to subdue and transcend crises. In over a century of its formalised colonial architecture, Nigeria has grown and made remarkable progress in the midst of crises.

    “The most tragic and horrendous episode in Nigeria’s history has been the 30-month Civil War of July 1967 to January 1970, in which many of our compatriots lost their lives. Indeed, many others also suffered terrible injuries of human and material dimensions.

    “So, who really wants to go through the depth and dimensions of another Civil War in Nigeria again? Who does not know that that Civil War was preceded and started by intolerance and a series of hate pronouncements, hate speeches, hate conducts and actions that were inflicted upon one another by the citizens?

    “Today, with a deep sense of nostalgia, I still carry within my body the pains of injury from the Civil War: there is nothing romantic about war; in any form, war is bad, condemnable and must be avoided.

    “I need hardly say I am very worried by the current ongoing altercations and vituperations of hate across the country by individuals, well-known leaders, religious leaders, group of persons and organisations.

    “We need to remind ourselves that conflicts are not evidently the stuff of politics and governance, particularly so of democracy, hence we must apply caution in our utterances, body language and news reportage.

    “The management of conflicts is the acid test of maturity, of mutual livelihood and of democratic governance. We cannot and we must not allow the current hate atmosphere to continue to freely pollute our political landscape unchecked.

    “Personally, I reject the proceedings of hate and their dissemination and urge my fellow citizens to strongly condemn the scourge and orgy of the current crisis which, in my view, is an outcome of vengeful appetites within the multiple contexts of our democratic governance and the profound inequalities that have distorted our social relations.

    “Nonetheless, it is not the place of leaderships to fuel and hype conflicts nor should we allow losers and gainers of our governance regimes to make pronouncements and threats that exploit our ethnic, religious and geopolitical construct. Democracy, anywhere in the world, is a work in progress; and one that is subject to constant evolution and debate.”

    Babangida cautioned those calling for civil war to break Nigeria to desist from such a venture because the consequences of war were “tellingly unpalatable.”

    He said: “The drums of war are easy to beat, but their rhythms are difficult to dance. Starting wars or political upheavals comes with the slightest provocation, but ending them becomes inelastic, almost unending with painful footages of the wrecks of war. I have been involved and its ripples are tellingly unpalatable, with gory details of destruction and carnage.

    “I am a Nigerian, a citizen, patriot and concerned stakeholder. It is my strong belief that Nigeria can attain greater greatness if we all nurture our minds in the direction of building a nation, and accepting responsibility for its successes and failures.

    “We cannot deny or repudiate our progress at nation-building in spite of the limitations and challenges that we have continued to experience. As a people, we need a proper study and understanding of our history in order to correct the warped perceptions of our past so as to minimise the dangers of badly skewed stories of our democratic experience in governance; and to regenerate mutual confidence and uphold the tenets of living together as one country.

    “No one government or administration can provide all the answers to the myriad of problems and challenges confronting us as a country; no matter how determined, resolute, committed and motivated such a government is.

    “The citizens have their roles to play, and their obligations to fulfill in order to motivate government in achieving its stated goals and objectives. Governance is a function of the leadership and the followership. It is a two-way traffic that demands certain responsibilities from those involved.

    “Of late, Nigeria has become so sharply divided with emotions running high on the least provocations. Once tempers are that high, the fault-lines become easily visible and with the slightest prompting, the unexpected can happen.

    “But I want to believe that Nigerians are still their reasonable selves, highly endowed in various skills and intellectually empowered to compete anywhere in the global arena. As a Nigerian, I have had the rare privilege to benefit from robust relationships from different people across the socio-political divide; East, West, North and South.

    “I have also immensely interacted with persons from all the numerous tribes, cultures and ethnic configurations dotted across the entire gamut of Nigeria’s expansive lands. I have made friends, built alliances, nurtured relationships and sustained linkages amongst Nigerians of all shades and opinions.

    “In fairness, Nigerians are great people. In those hours, moments and duration of friendship and camaraderie, no one talks about origin, geopolitical zones or even states. The issue of religion does not dictate the flow of discourse. We deal with ourselves based on our character and content, and not the sentiments of what part of the country we hail from.

    “The inalienable fact that Nigerians can live in any part of the country to pursue their legitimate aspirations is a strong indication that we have accepted to invest in the Nigerian project, and are no longer driven by mutual suspicion but mutual respect.

    “That we have not fully realised our potentials as a great nation is not enough reason for us to want to demolish the foundation of our nationhood or rubbish the labours of our heroes past; both of which are borne out of our collective efforts to build a truly great nation, and great people.

    “If we have repeatedly done certain things and not getting the desired results, we need to change tactics and approach, and renew our commitment. It is our collective responsibilities to engender a reform that would be realistic and in sync with modern best practices.”

    In Babangida’s view, it is time to restructure Nigeria with devolution of more powers to states.

    He said restructuring would strengthen our structures to make the union more functional, based on our comparative advantages.

    He added: “For example, restructuring has become a national appeal, as we speak, whose time has come. I will strongly advocate for devolution of powers to the extent that more responsibilities be given to the states while the Federal Government is vested with the responsibility to oversee our foreign policy, defence, and economy.

    “Even the idea of having Federal roads in towns and cities has become outdated and urgently needs revisiting. That means we need to tinker with our constitution to accommodate new thoughts that will strengthen our nationality.

    “Restructuring and devolution of powers will certainly not provide all the answers to our developmental challenges; it will help to reposition our mindset as we generate new ideas and initiatives that would make our union worthwhile.

    “The talk to have the country restructured means that Nigerians are agreed on our unity in diversity; but that we should strengthen our structures to make the union more functional based on our comparative advantages.”

    To Babangida, Nigeria is ripe for state police – in line with global best practices.

    He said: “Added to this desire is the need to commence the process of having State Police across the states of the Federation. This idea was contained in my manifesto in 2010 when I attempted to contest the presidential elections.

    “The initial fears that state governors will misuse the officers and men of the state police have become increasingly eliminated with renewed vigour in citizens’ participation in, and confidence to interrogate power. We cannot be detained by those fears and allow civilisation to leave us behind.

    “We must as a people with one destiny and common agenda take decisions for the sake of posterity in our shared commitment to launch our country on the path of development and growth. Policing has become so sophisticated that we cannot continue to operate our old methods and expect different results.”

    He pleaded with the media to exercise caution and weigh security implications in their reportage.

    He said: “I also want to appeal to the Nigeria media to be more circumspect in their news reportage. They should always weigh the security implications of the contents of their news and the screaming headlines that stare us in the face every day, especially at this fragile period of our political emanations. The media play an important and remarkable role in shaping the flow of discourse.

    “Their level of influence is also not in doubt, but as the fourth estate of the realm, it has a greater responsibility to moderate public discourse in a manner that will cement inter- and intra-cultural relationships. If Nigeria works, it benefits all her citizens; if it fails, it hurts all her citizens too. The media should be patriotic in its present engagements to berth a new Nigeria of our dreams.”

    Babangida said Nigerians should remain united by seeing strength, determination, commitment and confidence in their diversities rather than adversities.

    He said: “On a final note, I really wish we see strength, determination, commitment and confidence in our diversities rather than adversities.

    “As a heterogeneous country with flourishing skills and numerous endowments, we should dictate the pace in Africa and lead by example of what is possible amongst a people that are focused and determined to pursue common national goal.

    “As a former Military President who had the rare privilege to travel around Africa to sustain the African cooperation through peace-keeping operations, I have come to the conclusion that nations are driven by a common ideal and not by the homogeneity of their race.

    “I saw Somalia, such a homogeneous conclave yet one of the most troubled countries in Africa today. I saw South Sudan, which broke away from the old Sudan, but peace and stability have eluded them. Rwanda genocidal experience is not romantic either.

    “But a President from the minority ethnic group has repositioned the country to assume its pride of place in the comity of nations. That a people share common identity, language, history, doctrine, culture, mores and values is not synonymous with development, growth, stability and peace.

    “When we went into peace-keeping operations in Sierra Leone, Somalia, Liberia and Congo, we had in mind to sustain oneness in Africa even though we are a continent of different countries all bearing different logos and identities. Our motivation was simply that we are Africans.

    “I am therefore appealing to the sensibilities of all of us, young and old, leaders and followers, groups and organisations, that in the interest of peace and stability of our country, we need to sheathe the sword. At 76, I have seen it all. I have seen war. I have fought war.

    “And I have survived war, even though I still suffer the pains and injuries of war, it is part of the selfless sacrifice to keep the union afloat. We must build a country that is forward looking for our children and future generations of Nigerians.

    “We cannot afford to toy with the destinies of the 170million Nigerians by the shape of our discourse and the content of our interaction.

    “We must carry out conscious attitudinal orientation that will change the mindset of our youths and the held beliefs of the elderly. We must explore the therapies of dialogue and constructive engagements in our desire to make life more meaningful for our people.

    “My friends cut across all regions, zones and states. I am proud to be a Nigerian because I see hope in the youthful population of Nigerians. I see remarkable skills and raw talents that can stimulate enterprise and innovations.

    “This is the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a month in which Muslim faithful have dedicated their lives to seek closeness to God, and forgiveness of their inequities. It is a month of penance; a month of prayer for physical, moral and spiritual rejuvenation, regeneration and rebirth. I urge my countrymen and women to use the occasion to look ahead with hope and renewed dedication to the service of our country.”

     

  • State Police an invitation to anarchy, says Mbu

    State Police an invitation to anarchy, says Mbu

    Former Commandant, Police Staff College  (PSC), Jos, Plateau State, Assistant Inspector General of Police  (AIG) Joseph Mbu (rtd) has described the call for state police as an invitation to anarchy.

    Mbu spoke at Effraya in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River  State  at the weekend at a reception held in his honour by the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC).

    According to the retired police chief, it was safer for only the Federal Government to be in control of the police than to have 38 ‘authoritarian people’ – 36 states, FCT and the Presidency.

    Mbu lamented that the police job was being hijacked by different people, urging those in authority to be aggressive in reclaiming the agency’s glory.

    He said: “The police job is being hijacked now by every Tom, Dick and Harry. Those in authority should know what to do, be aggressive about it and restore the glory of the police.

    “State police is an invitation to anarchy. It is impossible. I say so because I have been best opportuned to serve as Commissioner of Police (CP) in five states and AIG of two zones. It is better for us to have only one person who is authoritarian than to have 38. There will be anarchy.

    “It is better for the Federal Government to remain in control of the police. Then, the allocation that is given to the Governors as security vote should not be looked at as though it is their right. That money is supposed to be utilised effectively by assisting the police and other security agencies in their respective states.”

    “If such money get to the local government, the chairmen must use it to support the police. A situation where a local government chairman does not even know the DPO of his place cannot go well. Even at the state level where Governors send their SA on Security to be meeting or discussing with the Commissioner is very wrong. The Governors and the CPs must work together for better security. That is what they should do instead of canvassing splinter groups.”

    Advising young officers to shun bribery, indiscipline, Mbu said that they should embrace God and remain committed to doing good.

    “As a human being you must be determined and committed to doing the right thing. You have to do your job with passion and when you do that, God will bless you. If you want to be a courageous policeman, you must be upright.

    “Young officers have heard or read about me and so if they want to be like me, they must shun corruption and indicipline. You cannot take money and fight crime.

    “Once you take money, you are compromised. But if you remain firm and shun corruption, God has a way of compensating you. God has compensated me and I am very happy with that.

    “I decided to join the police after my NYSC. I was serving in Jos, then, they have not established the academy. I saw them and liked their uniform and that was how I went in.  I have no regrets. If given the opportunity to serve again, I will still do the things I did,” said Mbu.

  • Insecurity: Expert seeks state police

    Insecurity: Expert seeks state police

    Security expert, Chief Rotimi Fadoju, has advocated for the creation of state police over mounting security challenges posed by Fulani herdsmen and the Niger Delta militancy.

    He called on the police to embrace modern techniques of combating crimes to curb rising crime cases.

    Fadoju, who spoke with reporters on the state of the nation in Ibadan, said the nation was still behind in the area of using modern technology to crack down on crimes despite the several laurels won by Nigerian troops from peace-keeping missions.

    Fadoju, a London trained expert in Police Act and Criminal Evidence

    (PACE), said 80 per cent of the crimes committed in the United Kingdom were detected through DNA and the CCTV.

    He added that it was unfortunate that the nation does not have a DNA database, which makes it difficult to detect and investigate past crimes.

    Fadoju traced the genesis of Nigeria’s security challenges to the past, adding that the nation was being hunted by several things it has left undone.

    “In London, the Metropolitan Police would spend heavily to crack down on a crime using its several database and technological equipment. Unfortunately, Nigeria does not have a DNA database.

    “The London police will never limit the powers of any of its personnel. A DSP will never interfere in an investigation being carried out by a constable,” he said.

    He added that the CCTV, been regarded as “Big Brother”, was a very big tool used in unravelling criminal activities on the streets of London.

    Fadoju said London residents do not cover up crimes.

    “They are always ready to expose every culprit, even if he or she is their child,” he said.

    The security expert called on President Muhammadu Buhari to be focused and not allow people to lead him astray from his vision of taking the country to greater heights.

    Fadoju called for the introduction of social security and empowerment for the youths, adding that such would curb or reduce drastically the security challenges facing the nation.

    He said many of the youths fighting at Onitsha and other cities were products of idleness.

    Most of them, he added, were not born when Ojukwu started Biafran war.

  • ‘State police, panacea for insecurity’

    ‘State police, panacea for insecurity’

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje spoke with TONY AKOWE on his relationship with his former boss, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, security, revenue generation and the state police. Excerpts: 

    Nine months into the life of your administration, what have you been doing to fulfill your campaign promises?

    Our government in Kano is a government of transition from one government in one political party to another government in the same political party. It is a transition because it is a government where the Executive governor successfully handed over to his deputy which is a very rear occasion in Nigeria. Very soon, I will launch a book on governance and deputising in Nigeria. Looking at how we came in, our government is a government of continuity, a government of consolidation, a government of fine tuning, and a government of new initiation. I think there is no better way to put the transition  than this. After handing over government to me, I did waste time in appointing my commissioners because I know where I was and where I was going. I know the terrain, I know the personalities and so, it did not take me time to pick my commissioners. It didn’t take us time for the state Assembly to elect their leadership because I was conversant with all of them and there was no subterranean influence. Infact, when they came forward for me to tell them how the leadership structure will look like, I told them to follow the constitution. Whoever you elect as your Speaker and other principal officers, I will work with them. It did not take them up to one hour to elect their principal officers and up till now, there is no problem among them and no problem between the legislature and the executive.

    In specific terms, what have you done to better the lot of the people?

    In other to address the economic situation at the moment, the first thing we did was to reduce the cost of governance by reducing the ministries from 19 to 14; we reduced the salaries of political office holders by 50 percent and also their allowances so that the cost of governance is in accordance with what we are getting now. Also, in other to cope with the present circumstance, what we did was to reform the board of internal revenue because we had to look inward since the money coming from oil has drastically gone down. We have to see how we can generate revenue for the development of the state and so, we had to reform the board. We got people of integrity and good sense of professionalism and are committed to the development of the state. This was done not based on any tribal or religious inclination. We tried to get the best brains that can do the job. We are happy that we reconstituted that board and also, we have technical advisers from all over the country. Advisers with comparative advantage in different areas of revenue collection and they immediately swung into action by meeting with different stakeholders and the business community in other to tell them that this is a new regime that require the support of all to harness all internal revenue fake the development of the state. There is no gain saying the fact that revenue from oiled no more there and we are happy that the board has firmly taken over and we have started seeing the changes even though they are just laying the infrastructure for the collection. But from what we have started seeing, there is light at the end if the tunnel. Another thing we did was to block the leakages. We told the civil servants that it is not business as usual and we had to establish a public complaint and anti corruption commission that will assist us to over see things so that governance is done transparently. I scouted for one of them in the civil society, a social critic who will not like to be criticized, but will like to criticism and put him in the position to head the commission and he is doing a good job. Our state executive council meet every week and we publicize our resolution. Since we started. We have not missed any week. If I am not around my deputy is around to preside and whatever decision he takes with the council, I obey. Mu deputy is not a spare tyre, but a co-pilot, therefore, we have not lost track of governance in the state since we started.

    Security has been a big problem in most parts of the country, especially in the North. What is your experience like in Kano?

    Kano is a mega city, the most populous state in the federation. Mega cities have mega problems and a mega city is not only a city with high population, but a city where things should work and therefore we must make every effort to make sure that things are working. The issue of security is very vital. The insecurity problem in the north eastern part of this country, Kano being a cosmopolitan area can not escape the fall out of the insecurity from that part of the county. In other to protect lives and property, we always meet with security agencies, community leaders and various stakeholders, collecting a lot of intelligence information. The state is trying hard to make sure that it is not a battle ground for Boko Haram. A new insecurity dimension came in, the issue of cattle rustling. While Boko Haram are harassing the cities, cattle rustlers are harassing the rural population and by implication, affecting the rural economy. We had to strategies with the security agencies and traditional rulers and the various herdsmen group in collecting useful information, particularly along Falgore forest and we were able to crush that syndicate. As of today, we have recovered over 10,000 cows and return them to the owners. Also, with the help of the police and the military, we have captured so many arms and ammunitions. In other to make the issue sustainable, I declared that any cattle rustler who will be born again and surrender, we are ready to forgive and forget. We are ready to rehabilitate them. I am happy to report that in the first instance, 39 rustlers came forward with all their guns and other ammunition and this was highly celebrated and now, the security agencies are getting a lot of information on how to chase out these rustlers. Right now, we are dialoguing on how to improve their socio-economic life so that they don’t go back to this heinous crime.

    Your government has started well by working within your means and saving cost. What has the government saved, in terms of monetary value, from this policy of cutting down on cost.

    We have saved a lot, but if is not easy to say in terms of physical cash. But two things are very important. One, the attitude towards governance by the administration and by the people and secondly, the physical reduction in the cost of governance. From the measures we have taken, you will know that we have saved a lot of money. I established a due process bureau and so, we follow due process, all our contracts are being published and something with all our council deliberations. Do, the issue of transparency has come in and that is also leading to the reduction in the cost of governance.

    How do you assess current efforts by the Federal Government to diversify the economy?

    I told you that we have chosen three areas in agriculture where we have comparative advantage. One is the production of wheat, the production of rice and the production of tomatoes. We have people who are ready to buy these things and the farmers are geared up because we are providing an enabling environment. What we have discovered is that agriculture should not be limited to raining season alone and so, we are now utilizing our dams. We have over 24 dams in the state and we are using them for irrigation. Just recently, I distributed 5000 water pumps and they were distributed to the actual farmers because I took it as a responsibility to visit all the irrigation clusters. Infact, I was involved in measuring the size of the farms. So, every farmer who is involved in the cluster, we know the size of his farm the amount of fertilizer he requires, the amount of insecticide. We have reinstated our fertilizer blending plant which is now working 24 hours. We spent over N500 million on it and any fertilizer we are producing there is much better than any fertilizer that is imported because the fertilizers we produce there is based on the chemical nature of the soil in Kano state. We have rice millers now. I was surprised when we visited one of the rice millers and he told us that one lady came from Lagos looking for 50 trucks of rice, but the company could only provide 35. Another one came from Enugu looking for 30 trucks, but could only get 10 trucks and he has the raw materials to work upto December. If there is any farmer farmer who has produced rice or wheat, he is ready to buy. So, you can see that farming is lucrative. Very soon, we will establish rice pyramid to replace the groundnut pyramid in Kano.

    What are you doing to improve the revenue of the state.

    During the last administration,we had a lot of money from oil and so, the emphasis was not on internally generated revenue. But they say necessity is the mother of invention. Now we are in the necessity and so, we are inventing. Before, we could hardly get N1 billion as internally generated revenue. I can assure you that right now, we have over N2 billion from the beginning because some of the infrastructure are just being laid. There are some technical advisers who are helping to collect money from landed property; some from vehicles, some from communication companies, some from registration if business premises. We have taken all the sectors and appointed technical advisers and they are working very hard in other to ensure that we increase revenue.

    Some governors have granted autonomy to local government. Are you thinking in that direction

    Whatever is to be given to them, we give it to them. The fact is that some of them cannot even pay salaries and so, we have to argument what they have. It is not only the autonomy that matters. Autonomy plus argumentation is what matters. If you are relying on autonomy alone, some of the local,government will shut down. So,mew work together to generate revenue, you give them what is their entitlement according to the constitution and also, if they are in trouble, you bail them out.

    In view of the security challenges in the country today, what is your take in the clamor for the creation of State police.

    The situation we find ourselves,  I think there is no better time we need the state police than now because the security at the moment requires intelligence information, it involves people who are conversant about the society who are conversant with the tradition,  who are conversant with the culture,  they are in a better position to assist in terms of surveillance, in terms of collecting information and in terms of being effective.  So I think the idea of a state police is something that we need to pursue.

    You are the only deputy governor that succeeded his boss during the 2015 elections and that showed that there is mutual trust between the two of you. But recently, your younger brother was suspended as the district head of your village. Is that an indication of a rift between you and the Emir?

    Definitely, there is a good relationship between me and the former governor. We have a relationship that has lasted for over 30 years. It was not only in governance that we met. We meet outside government. I was his deputy for eight years. But two things are very important. One, you know the role of sycophants both from his side and from my side who will like to benefit if there is a problem between us. But we have been talking and sometimes, we laugh.

    The last administration left a lot of projects and people are worried that these projects came with a lot of debt. Can you let us into this debt and how you are dealing with it.

    During the last administration. We had a lot of money and so, we started a lot of mega projects that could not be completed. We have a lot of debt, but having a debt is not a crime because whatever we expended was in the public interest. Therefore it is my responsibility to complete all abandoned projects. We are doing that and Infact, I have even gone beyond that. There are projects abandoned during the administration before we came in. The administration of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau abandoned two mega hospitals which I have decided to complete many rural roads were abandoned for almost ten years. Now I have decided to complete them because I don’t believe I should leave any project uncompleted because the project was started in the public interest and it will be a waste if we don’t do that.

    What are you doing to curb corruption?

    Like I said earlier, I established a public complaint and anti corruption commission and it is working. Anytime it bites, I laugh. I have directed that an office be opened in all the 44 local government areas across the state. Many of the local government have opened offices. We also have complaint boxes across the state. Any suggestion you send to them, the will advice us on it and if it something they can pursue, they will do that.

     

     

     

     

    The new Chairman of the PDP has vowed that the PDP will take power back from the APC in 2019. As a chieftain of the party. What is your take on this

    I do not wish to engage in cross fire.  But I will like to tell you that it is the normal utterances of those who want to impress his followers. But I believe it is an empty threat.  Looking at the antecedents,  the history of the chairman himself,  we all know he is a cross carpeter. he is always on the move in changing from one party to the other.  Even when he was in All Nigerian people’s party (ANPP) for eight years,  he was working for the people’s Democratic party (PDP).  Even the All progressive Congress (APC) started with him,  and then he went back to the PDP and we were happy. I am sure in the long run he would work for us.  That is what I believe.  We are happy because we believe in the long run he would work for us.  Find out his history you will believe me.