Govs Will Abuse State Police Like Electoral Commissions – Dogara

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that some functions in the concurrent list ceded to governors have not been well-managed.

The Speaker of the 8th National Assembly was a guest on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television on Friday.

According to him, governors are mismanaging state-controlled electoral commissions to have their way during local government elections. He said the opposition won’t be allowed to breathe if governors are empowered with state police.

He described as “laughable,” the calls by some persons that state police should be introduced as a means to curb the ubiquitous security challenges such as kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria.

Dogara said, “Look at this country, what is it that has been outsourced to a state that has been properly managed?

“Look at how the state electoral commissions have turned out to be. If I were a governor and I wanted to be a pretentious democrat, I can even say three, four, or five local governments are less consequential to me; let me cede them to oppositions but when they (governors) run these elections, the ruling parties take 100% of the local government chairmen seat.

“If we have state police, what will play out is that we will be giving a hangman the free man to hang, we will enable state governors to build militias.

“They control 100% state assemblies, they control 100% magistrates, area court justices and even the state high court. So, when you now reinforce that or strengthen that with the state police, you are making them a judge in their own case, which even runs counter to the principle of democracy. What will happen is that if you disagree with your governor, you dare not go home. The state police then becomes a militia used to rig elections by the sitting governors.

“Our democracy has not reached that maturity. Democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of intimidation, where you cannot tolerate opposition.”

Dogara was a lawmaker in the green chamber for 16 straight years from June 2007 to June 2023 when he represented Dass/Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa Constituency from Bauchi State.

Talks about state police have been gaining momentum in the last few weeks with some governors and regional socio-political groups like Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo saying it would curb the menacing trend of kidnapping, banditry, and sundry crimes.

Already, there are state-owned security outfits in about 23 states like the Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno State, the Amotekun Corps in the South-West geopolitical zone, Ebube Agu in the South-East, Benue Guards in the North Central State, Community Protection Guards in Zamfara, Community Watch Corps in Katsina, the Neighbourhood Watch in Plateau, state-backed vigilante outfits in Niger and Bauchi, amongst others.

However, these outfits have been handicapped in their operations due to several factors including lack of license to bear assault rifles and superior weapons to confront deadly insurgents and criminals but governors are upbeat that with constitutional backing, these outfits will live up to their full potential.

To this end, President Bola Tinubu and governors of the 36 states in mid-February, agreed on state police as a method to curb the escalating security challenges in the country.

About a month later, 16 governors submitted their reports to the National Economic Council (NEC), expressing their support for the creation of state police and the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for the same. The decision of the remaining 20 governors is still being expected.

State police has faced some criticisms, as well as support. Some persons have said funding could be a challenge for state police as some governors would demand an upward review of monthly allocations to their states.

Dogara also said some governors can’t pay the salaries of civil servants in their states hence empowering them with state police could further endanger the lives of the people in their states as hungry operatives could use their rifles to cause mayhem.