Interpol Systems Consultant and security expert, Sir Chikwe Udensi has expressed concern that the clamour for establishment of state police may not work effectively in the country, saying the state governors pose a threat to it.
A Bill seeking the establishment of state police is currently before the National Assembly and has reached an advanced stage.
Featuring on a current affairs programme “Open Parliament” monitored by ABN TV on Wednesday, Sir Udensi said if the command and control structure of the state police is handed over to state governors it is subject to abuse, accusing them of not respecting rule of law.
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According to him, the immunity provided by the Constitution for governors shields them from criminal prosecution, a situation he insists has allowed the governors to walk away with lots of impunity.
“What it means is that a governor can walk up to you in your office, shoots you in the head, and he cannot be prosecuted. That is what we have today.
“This is what we said we borrowed from America, the presidential system of government but the President of US does not even have immunity. So you begin to wonder who imported these strange things into our laws”, he states.
Sir Udensi said the situation analysis of law and order in the country indicates that about 3,800 orders of the court have been disobeyed by the governors since 1999.
He further cited an alleged abuse of state and local government joint accounts regulation as an indicator that state governors will abuse the state police.
“Then look at the abuse of state electoral commission. When the federal government through INEC conducts an election, you will see that most parties will win an election. But what happens when a state governor conducts local government election?
“Not even a councilorship position goes to any other party apart from his own party, that is what we have”, he added.
According to Sir Udensi, the poor implementation of budgets by the state governors is also a pointer that they will abuse the state police if eventually established.
While emphasizing that community policing is the only way to secure the Nigerian masses, he said every community should be allowed to police themselves and not handing over arms and ammunition of State police in the custody of the governors.
He said governors will use the instrumentality of the state police to eliminate their opposition.
