As the security situation in the country worsens, governors on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, demanded the devolution of power to the 36 state governors, to enable them address the situation in their respective states.
The PDP governors who were hosted to a strategic meeting on the state of the nation at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Oyo State, by Governor Seyi Makinde, also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to summon an emergency meeting of the Nigeria Police Council, which comprises the president, the 36 state governors and other critical stakeholders to evolve and implement strategies to combat the present threats to the unity of the country, especially with respect to policing.
The position of the PDP governors aligns with the declaration of the 17 Southern Governors who had earlier called for an immediate restructuring of the country, creation of state police and ban on open grazing by wandering herders from the Northern region of the country, saying the unity of the country was non-negotiable but there must be a quick and dedicated action against all forms of national threats.
Reading a communiqué after the strategic meeting, the PDP governors said: “The meeting called on Mr President as the commander-in-chief of Nigerian Armed Forces to immediately send an executive bill to the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Constitution to devolve more powers to the states with respect to security arrangements culminating in some form of state policing and the general security architecture.
“Mr President should summon an immediate meeting of the Nigeria Police Council, which comprises
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Mr President and all state governors and other critical stakeholders to evolve and implement strategies to combat the present threats to our union, especially with respect to policing.
“The meeting agreed that the police force still remains the appropriate institution to secure our democracy and should not be subjected to personal attacks. The welfare, training, equipment, funding of all security agencies should be given priority.
“The meeting supports the earlier position taken by the Nigeria Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and recently by the Southern Governors Forum to adopt ranching as the most viable solution to the herders/farmers clashes in Nigeria; the restructuring of the Nigerian federation to devolve more powers and functions to the States, and reform of various civil institutions to achieve efficiency and equity for all sections of Nigeria.
“The meeting enjoins all Nigerians to work together to achieve peace and harmony with one another, devoid of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, and other cleavages.
“To this end, the meeting called on the incompetent and rudderless APC Government to take bold and deliberate steps to de-escalate and lower tensions in our country, and concentrate on projects and policies that will enhance and promote national unity and cohesion.”
The PDP governors who attended the meeting were Aminu Waziri Tambuwal ( Sokoto), Samuel Ortom (Benue ), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Douye Diri (Bayelsa).
Others were Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi ( Enugu), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Mahdi Mohd, deputy governor, who represented his Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.
