Confab rejects state police

Advocates of a decentralized police force in Nigeria suffered a major setback on Monday as they failed in their bid to transfer police matters to the Concurrent Legislative List.
Under the existing Constitution, the Police is on the Exclusive Legislative List, which makes it a solely federal matter only the National Assembly could legislate upon.
The defeat of state police at the Committee on Power Devolution came the same day the Committee suspended deliberations on the issue of Mines, Minerals and Geological Surveys.
It was the second time the committee would defer taking a decision on the agitation by some delegates to move mines and minerals to the Concurrent List, where the states and the Federal Government would share powers and responsibilities.
Northern delegates, led by Dr. Haruna Usman Sanusi, Dr. Bashir Dalhatu, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, retired General Jerry Useni, Senator Tilley Gyado and Alhaji Buba Galadima wanted the committee to leave the issue of mines and minerals on the Exclusive Legislative List where only the National Assembly would have the powers to legislate on it.
On the other hand, Southern delegates, led by Chief Asara Asara, Prof. Godwin Darah and Chief Ayo Adebanjo vehemently opposed the position of their northern colleagues.
Niger Delta activist, Annkio Briggs, who advanced the position of the South on the matter, urged the delegates to look beyond oil and gas and think of the positive difference the participation of the states could make if they were empowered alongside the Federal Government to participate in the exploitation of the various minerals in their domains.
When both parties could not reach a consensus on the issue, Co-Chairman of the Committee and former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, ruled tat the matter be adjourned till Tuesday.
In a similar manner, the issue of transferring police to the Concurrent Legislative List generated a heated debate between delegates of the southern block and their counterparts from the northern axis.
While Adebanjo, Chief Gbade Adedeji, Senator Tony Adefuye, Chief Okey Ikedife and Chief Adeniyi Akintola canvassed that the time had come for Nigeria to adopt a decentralized policing structure, Alhaji Dambatta Magaji and retired Colonel Usman Farouk kicked against the move.
For those who supported the adoption of state police, it was unthinkable that given the level of criminality and insecurity in the country, some persons still wanted to keep the police as purely a federal matter.
They argued that already state governments have been funding the Police because of the inability of the Federal Government to adequately cater for the institution.
Also on Monday, the National Conference Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters endorsed the continued existence of the State Independent Electoral Commission for the prosecution of elections at the local government level.
The Committee is to consider placing the SEIC on first line charge and well as authorise it to regulate its own procedures.
According tot the Committee, the Independent National Electoral Commission should not be burdened with Council elections going by the lapses witnessed in previous general elections executed by INEC.
The delegates have however advocated for the strengthening of the SEIC to make it effective, efficient as well as empower it against being turned to pawns in the hands of state executives.
Olusola Ebiseni from Ondo State said there were contradictions inherent in calls for true federalism and the removal of SEIC.
Besides, the existence of SEIC was a constitutional matter as mentioned in Section 197 while the state, as a federating unit, is expected to handle the affairs of the local government as part of its residual functions.
According to Ebiseni, if democratic structures were allowed to endure, good governance would be encouraged and that would result in less corruption and by extension less complaints from Nigerians.
Ebiseni, who is a member of a sub-committee set up on how to strengthen SEIC, said the Committee would explore means of placing SEIC on first line charge.
Secondly, he said the Committee would seek how the SEIC would be empowered to regulate its own procedures without seeking approval of the governor.
Former Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, said rather than ask for the scrapping of the SEIC, it should be strengthened through the appointment of its members.
Udenwa suggested that political parties with members in the state House of Assembly, religious bodies, trade unions as well as members of he Civil Society Organizations should be members of the commission.
He also said the SEIC should be backed by strong laws, while asking the legislature to wake up to its responsibility of calling the executive to order when it is going out of its bounds.
In his submission, former Governor Olusegun Osoba of Ogun State, who supported Udenwa on the need to strengthen the SEIC, said the issue of finance is critical to the local government as it is the tool with which the governors have been manipulating the local administration.
According to Osoba, itt was the federal allocation for local council that the governors are using to control the local government.
Saying that the manner local governments are ran by governors was not fair, the former governor pointed out that if the issue of finance can be resolved in favour of the local councils, governors would have less overbearing influence in the affairs of local government, including local elections.
Sidi Ali from the North West said SEIC should be re-energized but that the powers of the president and governors should be removed as sole appointees of chairmen of INEC and SEIC.
Senator Mohammed Jibril on the hand said it was INEC that should rather be strengthened and that ‘mushroom commissions’ should not be allowed to exist.
Jibril was supported by Barrister Musa Salihu, who regretted that governors have too much influence on the SIEC.
“Scrap SEIC, there is no need to strengthen them, they are too corrupt,” Salihu added.
Anayo Nnebe, a former speaker, also advocated for the scrapping of SEIC, saying: “INEC has never delayed national elections for a month, but SIEC always does.
“It should be scraped from the constitution.
“They do governors’ biddings only.”