State police: NEC to brainstorm on 32 states’ reports

The National Economic Council has threatened to enforce its decision on states that have not yet submitted their reports on state police.

President Bola Tinubu had in February endorsed the establishment of state police, as suggested by state governors, to address rising insecurity in the country.

States were instructed to submit their reports for NEC deliberation and action.

However, following a NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, acting Oyo State Governor, Bayo Lawal, disclosed that four states had yet to submit their reports.

In a resolution, NEC gave the affected states until Monday to provide their reports or face the consequences of the council’s decision.

The states in question are Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the NEC meeting, the Oyo acting governor said, “An update on the establishment of state police was considered and this was as a result of the security situation challenges  that we have across the nation in the North-East, North-Central, South-West, South- East and South-South, so that we would have a robust security in our nation.

“For that purpose, sometime last year, NEC considered the establishment of state police and asked states to make submissions of considerations.

“Today, all the states were supposed to submit their reports for the consideration of the NEC. Incidentally, four states couldn’t submit for that purpose.

“NEC decided that those states must make their submissions on or before Monday 9th September, otherwise, whatever decision NEC takes on the establishment of state police is binding on those states that refused to make submission. So, that is the resolution as at today’s NEC meetings.”

Also speaking, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, announced the reformation of the flood committee in response to recent flood disasters.

According to him, the committee, designed to provide consistent intervention rather than ad hoc solutions, includes governors from Kogi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa, and Jigawa states, as well as various federal ministers and directors.

The council has set a Monday deadline for submitting details of the flood damage from affected states.

He stated, “The flood committee has to be reconstituted and the new members of the councils are governors of Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa and Jigawa states.

“Others are the Minister of Water of Resources, Minister of State for Water Resources, Minister of State for Environment, DG, Nigeria Sovereignty Investment Authority, DG, NiMET, DG, NWRI, MD/CEO NIWA, MD of NNDC, MD, NEDC, and DG, NEMA.

“The council has decided that Monday will be the deadline for all the states of the federation to submit details of the damage done, including farms, schools, barges that have been affected by the last flood and the chairman mentioned it would be taken into consideration for appropriate support to the various states.

“So, these are the new very strong membership of the flood committee that will continue to address council henceforth.”

On his part, the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed remarked that the NEC thoroughly discussed the flood situation in the country.

He stated, “The governors acknowledged the support of the Federal Government in terms of releasing N3bn as a measure to ensure that at least they provide palliative for the flood.”

He noted that the flood was especially severe in the North-East, where a key route between Kano and Maiduguri was disrupted, causing significant damage to homes, schools, bridges, and livelihoods.

Additionally, there were losses of lives and widespread property destruction.

He added, “Of course, that has really provided a big challenge to us as a government and as a people in our states because we need to provide more of food security.

“Already, farmlands are already submerged and therefore there’s a need for collaboration between all the tiers of government to ensure food security.

“The need for planning, collaboration and interaction to do that during the harvest time because the bumper harvest may not be as envisaged. So, the federal ministry of agriculture and all our subnational ministries are supposed to collaborate and ensure that something comprehensive is done.

“I know there has been a lot of devastation and we have been asked to give an inventory of destruction before  Monday. But other measures of governance in terms of governance structure have been established by council.”