The statements release by four northern governors after visiting the Rivers State Governor in Port harcourt on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, should serve as a lesson to Nigerian leaders on how not to be contradictory in public policy.

According to reports, the visiting governors said in a communique that “with the way the police is being used, we do not see the need for state governments to fund an antagonistic police, and may be forced to reconsider our position on the financial contribution of our states towards the funding of the Nigeria Police. “Arising from the action of the police, and Mr. Joseph Mbu (the Commissioner of Police) in Rivers State, the call for state police as a constitutional necessity has become a necessity”.

Tuesday’s call, or a leaning on such a “constitutional necessity” as they call it, is indeed a double sommersault from consensus.

It is on record that almost all Nigerian governors had in June 2012, agreed to prevail on the Federal Government to urgently consider the creation of state police as a solution to the state of violence in the country.

But about a month after that, most northern states governors had backtracked and opted to drop their demand for the creation of state police. Their reasons?

The statements release by four northern governors after visiting the Rivers State Governor in Port harcourt on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, should serve as a lesson to Nigerian leaders on how not to be contradictory in public policy.

According to reports, the visiting governors said in a communique that “with the way the police is being used, we do not see the need for state governments to fund an antagonistic police, and may be forced to reconsider our position on the financial contribution of our states towards the funding of the Nigeria Police. “Arising from the action of the police, and Mr. Joseph Mbu (the Commissioner of Police) in Rivers State, the call for state police as a constitutional necessity has become a necessity”.

Tuesday’s call, or a leaning on such a “constitutional necessity” as they call it, is indeed a double sommersault from consensus.

It is on record that almost all Nigerian governors had in June 2012, agreed to prevail on the Federal Government to urgently consider the creation of state police as a solution to the state of violence in the country.

But about a month after that, most northern states governors had backtracked and opted to drop their demand for the creation of state police. Their reasons?

1.  The country may not presently be ripe for a state police because most of them were not financially buoyant to own such an institution;
2.  State police might be used by any government in power to muzzle the opposition and breed tyranny;
3.  State police may breed more security problems in the North than addressing the insecurity in the region;
4.  “We also think that funding is a major issue the governors have been considering. It is not a tea party to fund any police system when you talk of staffing, equipment and providing adequate security ” – one vociferous opponent was quoted as saying.

And in less than one year after this reverse option, four northern states leaders are coming out publicly to opt for the very position that Governor Jonah Jang had consistently and persistently stood on!

He has been well aware that his opposers had not placed other more convincing and coherent alternatives to his position. Jang’s reasons for calling for the creation of state police are hinged on the protracted attacks on communities in the state, “As a government, we have sustained our efforts in tackling the peace and security challenge. Some of these include establishing the Inter-religious Committee for Peace and Harmony, holding stakeholders’ meetings, establishment of Operation Rainbow, and producing white papers on reports of investigations into crises in Jos”.

Those calling for state police now are doing so as an after-thought and not for nationalistic reasons. Their calls are stemming from their own induced interpretation of certain events beyond their political easy control – and so would wish to see a state police that is readily available to handle a delicate political operation.

The Nigerian Constitution ascribes governors the status of chief security officers of their respective states when in reality they have no control over the federal police – yet they are asked to fund the federal police too!

Therefore, the Plateau State Government strongly believes that the establishment of state police will promote deeper practice of democratic federalism. We maintain our consistency on this very matter.

For those just waking up to this reality in far away states other than theirs, it does appear, THE CHICKEN HAS FINALLY COME HOME TO ROOST.

By Yiljap Abraham,

Hon. Commissioner,

Information and Communication,

Plateau State.

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Creation of State Police: A case of the Chicken coming back home to roost by Yiljap Abraham