State Police: Southern Governors’ Forum Welcomes Position Of 19 Northern Governors, Says Time Now For Action

By Ayodele Oni

The Southern Governors Forum has welcomed resolve of 19 Northern Governor and Traditional Rulers Council to use state police to check terrorism in the zone.

Chairman of Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong at the end of their meeting in Abuja revealed that the gathering reviewed the security situation in the North and other matters relating to its development.

According to him, the meeting also resolved to support further amendments of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in the bid to accommodate the establishment of State Police.

Governor Lalong affirmed that the Northern Governors and “Traditional rulers support the review and constitutional amendment to accommodate the establishment of State Police, with a view to effectively and efficiently address the security challenges in the Northern States.

Reacting to the position on Monday, chairman Southern Governors Forum and Governor of Ondo state, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the southern counterpart “received with great relief the news of the resolution of the 19 Northern State Governors and Northern Traditional Rulers Council to call for the immediate establishment of State Police to address the continued insecurity challenges in the country.”

According to him, “Their decision to support the call for a constitutional amendment to reflect the current realities could not have come at a better time than now when the confidence in the capacity of the Federal Government to secure the country appears shaky.

“All patriots must salute the courage of the 19 Northern Governors and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council for their stance at this crucial moment in the country.

“We, on our part at the Southern Governors forum have continued to reiterate the fact of the incongruity inherent in an arrangement which purports to be federal, nominally, but whose observances stand at variance with the best practices espoused by climes considered advanced and progressing, amenable to nuances and adaptations, which reflect and accommodate the yearnings for inclusion of the component units.

“We will continue to insist on the creation a of State Police as the only logical and pragmatic solution to the pervasive problem of insecurity in the land.

“In addition to this, we shall not fail to renew the call for the adoption of policies geared towards real devolution of powers to the federating units indeed. This is the surest path to peace and progress.”