Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum NGF, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Friday said Nigeria Governors are still divided over the issue of State Police.
This is just as he revealed that Nigeria government has expended the $1b approved by the Nigeria Governors Forum NGF on Security issues
Speaking with State House Correspondents at the end of a Security meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Fayemi disclosed that while some States have taken position to have State Police, others are of the opinion that the security situation are not enough to warrant such arrangements
“ The position of the NGF on that is that we have not taken any position because experiences vary. There are some states where experiences does not necessarily lend itself to a more devolved Policing arrangements to the State. But there also States where there are agitations for this and their own Governors too have the view that, that will work better in their own States”
Fayemi noted that there are however economic issues revolving around it, including whether there are capacities to fund the State Police.
“ These are the issues that will come to play, when we get to the NEC meeting that will be called “
Fayemi however could not state when the meeting to discuss the issues will be held, but assured that he was meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to schedule a date for the meeting
He disclosed that the meeting which was at the instance of the Governors was called to review the current Security situation and expressed concerns about the issue.
“ We kept the President abreast about the situation, and made suggestions as to what we could do to assist the President on the issue.
He stated that the meeting also looked at the economic situation in the country and how they impinge on the security at the various States
“There are governors and states where their experience does not necessarily lend itself to more evolved policing to the states. There are also states where there are agitations for it, there are governors who have the views that that will work better in such states.
President Buhari had on Monday constituted a three man panel to work out modalities for the establishment of State Police, with the assurances that the report of the white paper committee will form the basis of the decisions of the government on the many recommendations, including the setting up of state and local government police made by the Ojukwu panel.
Accordingly him, “Until a white paper is produced, it will be premature and pre-emptive to suggest that the recommendations contained in the report have been approved by the President in part or whole.
But Fayemi who noted that the States have the capacity at the state level to fund state policing, added that those economic issues are part of the issues that will come to “play when we get to the national economic council meeting that has been called”
“Particularly because there is a committee that is looking into it after the submission of the report on SARS. So, we will take all of these together.
Specifically in terms of when the meeting will take place, I am going to to the Vice President office to finalize the timing for the meeting.
Speaking on the $1 billion fund approved for security, Fayemi said although “it may seem like a huge amount of money and it is a huge amount of money, but when you are dealing with security issues, where a Tucano jet cost more than $50 million and you are getting say 20, you know how much that is, already.
“I am not giving you specific details of how that money was expended, we will be happy to do that, but we feel that, that is really not a matter for us as governors.
“Yes, we were supportive of it because our position has always been whatever is required by the commander in chief to resolve security challenges in Nigeria, we will line up behind him and support him.
“Of course yes, we demand accountability, we will like to assure you that the $1 billion taken was definitely expanded among the various security services but the details I cannot give you on top of my head because I wasn’t expecting you to ask that question.
