By Lukman Olabiyi
Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams,has once again reiterated the need for state police, describing it as key content of restructuring.
Adams’ reaction came in response to the statement made by the
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, that state police like other issues relating to review of the constitution, amendment of the Nigeria Police Act to accommodate state police would take two years.
He stated also that he was deeply concerned about the situation in the country, adding that issues of insecurity across the country should be the foremost in the agenda of every administration.
Giving insights into the urgency of state police amid the rising spate of insecurity,Iba Gani Adams, said in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media Kehinde Aderemi, that the spike in the rate of insecurity across the country is a matter of great concern that needs urgent solution.
“We don’t need to wait till eternity before we get state police in Nigeria.State police is a content of restructuring.
“One of the fundamental duty of the government is to provide security for the citizenry.
“So,we need state police more than anything else for us to take care of the security deficits across the country.
Insecurity seems to have defied all measures.As far as I am concerned the two years constitutional time frame is too much of a time for such a bill to be passed or adopted by both the House of Reps and the Senate.
“What if we are amending the entire constitution?How long will it take to amend the entire constitution of Nigeria? Ironically,it will take up to eight years before the constitution is amended.
“Do you know the numbers of people that would have been killed through insecurity across the country within that two years? Do you know the numbers of property that would have been destroyed in the next two years?
For instance,in Kastina, Zamfara, Borno, Benue, Plateau and every part of the North is still boiling till date.
“In the south west,we are still mourning and feeling the pain of the death of the three Obas that were killed in Ekiti and the number of abductions are still growing by the day.
“In Lagos and most part of the south,night life is gone because of insecurity.
“During the last Yuletide,most of the southerners ,especially,those from the south East could not travel because of the spate of insecurity.
“We do not need up to that. I do not think that is proper, two years is too much time, I disagree with that, especially, at this time when there’s an emergency.
“Those involved in passing of the state police bill should stop playing politics with people’s lives.They should stop playing politics with issues that are as sensitive as such.Nigeria has lost so much to the spate of insecurity and we are yet to proffer lasting solution to the challenges”.
Meanwhile,Iba Adams said the foundational problems of Nigeria can only be addressed with restructuring that is tied to regionalism.
“Our fate in the future and progress of this country lies solely on restructuring.The Parliament should urgently work on the constitution.
So,Francis Waive as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, , should know what is expected of them as representatives of the people in the parliament.
“We need total overhauling of the 1999 constitution.It remains the greatest undoing of Nigeria.
The Constitution had hindered our progress and cohesion as the giant of Africa for the past 25 years.
Global community no longer see us as giant of Africa.They look up to South Africa.Even Ghana is also making tremendous progress but here we are; Nigeria still battling with the fundamental issues of overhauling of the 1999 constitution.
Many of the industries have relocated to other African countries because of the rising insecurity.
So, the parliament should take cognizance of state police and address the issue holistically within a period of two months so as to save Nigeria from continuous ugly narratives.
“Restructuring will take care of all the burning issues bordering on insecurity,economic and political. And that would be the best solution to the various challenges in the country”,he said.