The clamour for the establishment of state police, electoral reforms, and true federalism took centre stage on Saturday during the North Central Zone B public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution, organised by the House of Representatives Committee.
Held in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, the hearing brought together key stakeholders from Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with governors of the three states firmly backing the decentralisation of policing to tackle the persistent security challenges facing the region.
In his remarks, Chairman of the hearing and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, assured participants that their voices would be reflected in the constitutional amendment process.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, in his presentation, said State Police was long overdue because governors are called Chief Security Officers of the state but lack power to command security agencies.
He lamented that the absence of State Police has been responsible for the failure to properly implement the anti-open grazing law enacted by the government.
Represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Fidelis Mnyim, the governor said as it is today, ” a governor cannot command any of the security agencies or deploy them to troubled areas. For instance, we have an anti-open grazing law in Benue but we cannot implement it because the governor is said to be the Chief Security Officer but to the contrary, cannot direct the police even on arrest.”
Alia also recommended timely dispensation of electoral matters, explaining that “There should be a shift from oral-based evidence to documentary evidence. Let a documentary jurisprudence be established,” he requested.
In his presentation, Plateau state governor, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, represented by his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Philemon Daffi, declared that “Plateau is in full support of State Police. We support it because it will go a long way in tackling the perennial insecurity in the state.
“No state in the country has suffered insecurity like Plateau State. And so, we are for State Police and we want other security agencies to be added as well,” he stated.
On electoral reform, the Plateau State governor said they were opposed to the conduct of local council elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), instead of states’ independent electoral commissions.
He also advocates for the separation of the office of the Attorney General and the Minister/Commissioner for Justice.
In his presentation, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule said it was high time State Police was established to give states the mandate to protect their people directly.
Speaking on electoral reforms, Sule, represented by his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Isaac Danladi, called for the establishment of an agency separate from INEC, responsible for the registration and regulation of political parties.
He said by this “INEC will be freed from the enormous responsibility it currently carries to concentrate on conducting effective and transparent elections.”
The governor advocated for the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission by an Act of the National Assembly, instead of going through constitutional amendment.
He also called for the conduct of all elections in a single day, arguing that it will reduce cost and address the problem of voter apathy and fatigue.
Sule, however, opposed the idea of independent candidates, insisting that “It will create chaos and be cumbersome for INEC to coordinate the candidates.”
