The
power of control between President and Governor may be minimised as the
Senate has started plans to give Governors that power to control the
police in their states.
Men of the Nigerian Police
The Senate has began plans to amend the Constitution to
decentralise the police force, whittle down the powers of the President
over commissioners of police by giving state governors the power of the
‘last command', The Guardian reports.
Through a gazetted Senate Bill 346 sponsored by Solomon Olamilekan
of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) from Lagos East Senatorial
District, the Upper Legislative Chamber has given full powers to
governors to issue unconditional directives to the Police in their
states.
The report further reported that a copy of the Bill specifically
deleted the provision in section 215 (4) of the 1999 Constitution as
amended that empowered the President to overrule any orders given to a
Police Commissioner by the state governor.
Also, the bill plans to nullify the provision in section 215(5)
which had prevented any court from entertaining cases arising from such
orders issued by the President to the police.
It will also give greater control of the police to states to reduce
tension between the presidency and state governments over local
policing, bolster efforts at fighting crime and ease governance.
Effective policing at that level would also help states build the
required infrastructure to create jobs.
Many have said this is a good development as loud calls in the past
have advocated for the political restructuring of the country for
effective policing at the state and local government levels in response
to rising spate of crime, including insurgency, armed robbery and
kidnapping.
The idea of state police has received increasing support despite
Federal Government’s insistence on total control of the force. It was
also part of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference
convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan which the current
government has refused to implement.
Security experts have however said, without appropriate checks and
balances in place, governors’ control of police commissioners in their
states would be a “recipe for disaster.”
The Police force in its reaction said it would simply enforce any
law made by the Legislature and signed by the Executive arm of
government.
“I can’t comment on political decisions; we are professionals and law enforcers. Whatever law comes into force, we would obey," Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Don Awunah, told The Guardian.
He described the Police as an agency vested with the responsibility
of enforcing the law, while the National Assembly makes the laws.
The specific amendment that removed the obstacle on the way of state governors in directing the police commissioners reads: “The
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (in this Bill
referred to as “the Principal Act”) is altered as set out in this Bill.
Section 215 of the Principal Act is altered by deleting the provision to
subsection 4.”
The same section 215 is also altered by deleting immediately
after the word “shall” in line 3, the word “not” in subsection 5. 3.”
The explanatory memorandum to the Bill states that it seeks to
alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As
Amended) by deleting the Proviso to section 215 (4) and removing the
ouster provision of directions given to the Police on combating crime
under section 215(5) of the Constitution.”
The amendment, according to sources within the Senate, became
necessary following undue control of the police by the Federal
Government and its agents in Abuja, which has made it difficult for
governors to promptly address security issues in their states..
No comments:
Post a Comment