Confab delegate, Ohanaeze VC endorse State Police

By Phil Okose, Onitsha

A member of the 2014 National Conference, (Confab), Elder Chris Eluemuno, recalled Wednesday that the 2014 Confab delegates approved State Police as major means of checkmating increased crime wave in the country.

In an exclusive interview with Champion correspondent in his Nkwelle-Ezunaka community, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, Eluemuno reiterated that with state police states could manage their security architecture more effectively.

Elder Elumunoh, a former chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo Anambra state branch and ex-Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of the then Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, commended the move to have state police by present leadership of the country.

Eluemuno who was also former President General, PG, of his community, made his position clear on the proposed state police by the Federal Government and 36 governors of the country that it is a welcome development.

He recalled that the 2014 National Conference (Confab) held in Abuja which he was part of, approved state police believing that state can manage its security architecture more effectively than the Federal Police.

According to him the establishment, , funding and operation of state and community police be established based on the laws of the state considering also the peculiarities of each state for optimal results.

Elumunoh added that if the decision of ten years ago is now fancied and be implemented to check mate the rising challenging security features having been well thought out by some egg heads of the country, that emits great relief .

He explained also that a clause needed to be put in place to watch for over control and abuse by the state governors and their functionaries for personal enhancement or intimidation of perceived enemies.

Also in his reaction, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, the National Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, supported the views of Eluemuno that state police will aid in reduction of crimes and reduce extortion that is being witnessed currently.

Okeke-Ogene said that state police creation would enhance professionalism and commitment in career as police officers posted in their community would operate ethically not only to respect the uniform but honour the name of the family he or she came from.

He added further that it would afford the state to employ officers with impeccable character, qualified persons to meet international standard of policing and knowledgeable enough to handle security issues intelligently.

“Selection of quality manpower will be easy as identification of applicants and their capability will be easy to detect and they will also be familiar with the terrain since the environment is not strange to them,” he further explained.

Mr Anthony Okoye a resident commended President Bola Tinubu, 36 state governors and others for the move to a state police even as he cautioned on abuse by state governors.

He said the current plan on the establishment of state police was long overdue because of the increasing level of insecurity across the country.

According to him the Federal Government currently lacks capacity to run a federal system of policing in a country as diverse as Nigeria and endorses settlement for state police now.

He said that there was need for lot of manpower and resources to be able to police Nigeria optimally which appears the Federal Government does not have since civil servant are always on strike.

“The state government often financially supports the federal police officers posted in their states so it is better they invest in their own state police and bring them to standard instead of using state money to service federal police.

“I think time is ripe to start considering having a state police since the state governments are taking greater responsibility in the running of the police,” he said.

Mrs Chioma Beluchukwu, a trader, said that state police and local vigilante if pulled together would effectively solve the problems of crimes and criminality in the country as they would know the invaders easily than the federal officers.

Beluchukwu urged the federal lawmakers not to delay in the passage of the executive bill once it is on their tables because they certainly will be doing the will and aspirations of their constituents.