Need For State Police In Nigeria
Change is said "..to be the only thing that is permanent", by Heraclitus, a pre-Socrates philosopher from Ephesus.
This expression means that change abounds in life. Everything in life, not minding how hard or sturdy it is, has capacity to metamorphose into some different.
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Living things change with time. For example, man. Ten years ago, I did not have the look I have today. As years go by, I am changing in my Outlook.
Non-Living things change. For example, rock. I used rock because it is a hard stuff. But as hard and strong as it is, it changes with time through the process of weathering.
System or processes also change. For example, America's foreign policy. With the arrival of a new government, Trump's government, America adopted a new method in her relationship with neighbours and other countries of the world. Trump said that he wanted to look inward, America first.
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So my question is, what is it that doesn't change?
Why is it that Nigeria finds it difficult to change or accept one?
Nigeria nationalists scheduled Nigeria to attain her independence in 1956, but it failed because the country could not unanimously come to terms. Then, it failed and was realised later.
Nigeria had suffered under military clutches for many years. It took the people decades to agree to resist military, never again in Nigeria.
Today, insecurity in Nigeria is at its peak. Boko Haram, a deadly sect, Fulani herdsmen, and kidnappers are topping the chart. Innocent people are being killed everyday, and Nigerian people are adamant because they do not want change.
The security experts said, that Nigeria needs regional police as it is in United States to be able to curb insecurity. Nigeria copied presidentialism from America while Britain left us with federalism. These are the system Nigeria operates.
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Why are people afraid of states police?
No logical reason has been given why Nigeria should not accept states police. Some people have said that we are not yet matured for states Police. What an absurdity. The same thing that was said when freedom from British colonialist was advocated. Some Nigerians felt Nigeria was not yet due for it.
So when will Nigeria be due for states police?
People are dying because the centralised police is failing and we fold our arms and wait till we are mature for states police.
Benue is a case at hand where innocent women and children were murdered in cold blood on the eve of new year, and the police chief said it was a community clash.
Being a centralised police system, the police cannot act untill order comes from above. So in the face of killing spree, the police wait to hear order from commissioner of police resident in the state, while he the commissioner waits to hear from ADIG, the ADIGP waits for the DIG, DIG waits for IGP who must hear from Buhari before work will be done.
The Governor of Benue lamented hopelessly that Federal government and security agencies have abandoned Benue state.
The state made a regional law called 'Anti-Open Grazing law's to stop avoidable clashes between the herdsmen and farmers. Now, the law is being flouted and the governor signed the bill to law is powerless. The governor has no power to give order to police because they not responsible to him.
But who called the states' governors chief security officers of their states? What a contradiction.
Overhaul Nigerian constitution, overhaul the country. Restructuring is the only way to keep Nigeria together and safe.
