Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has thrown his weight behind the call for the establishment of state police to tackle Nigeria’s security challenges.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Tuesday, Utomi emphasized that creating sub-national police forces would significantly enhance security across the country.
Drawing parallels with the United States, Utomi highlighted the effectiveness of a decentralized police system.
“I have always supported the idea of state police. I believe state police is a very important part of the process of decentralizing authority in Nigeria.
“I live in a university town called Bloomington, Indiana in the United States. The university has its own police (university police) that carry guns.
“When we go outside of the university campus, the town-the city of Bloomington-has its own police and they also carry guns.
“Then the county in which Bloomington is located also has its county police force. There is also the Indiana state police. This model shows that policing is more effective when it is decentralized,” he said.
Utomi addressed concerns about potential abuse by state governments, suggesting that mechanisms should be established to prevent such abuse if state police were to be adopted.
“What the Americans have done over the years to the so-called problem of local abuse of people’s rights by police is to ensure that wherever there is a problem relating to breach of rights, the FBI automatically steps in.
“So that is how the Americans have tried to manage it. We can do the same. We cannot have effective security without a sub-national police force,” he added.
He urged the country to seize the opportunity presented by the ongoing constitutional amendment process to implement state police.
Utomi also advocated for the removal of the clause in the constitution that grants immunity to the president, governors, and their deputies from prosecution.
According to him, the immunity clause has been extensively abused and should be abolished.
However, he suggested the establishment of a commission to assess the merits of cases before a president, governor, or their deputies could be prosecuted, to prevent frivolous lawsuits.
“It (immunity) should in principle be removed, but we need a citizens’ jury (of highly placed citizens) which would be able to determine whether or not there is merit in pursuing issues against an incumbent.
“It is a double-edged sword. It has been abused very badly in Nigeria, making it problematic to continue,” he said.
He also noted that if everyone could sue governors, the President, and their deputies for every action they take in their position, they would not have the time to get the job done.
“Therefore, that commission will have approving rights over whether a matter is of the nature that can cause the President or governor to be prosecuted or sued,” he said.
The 10th National Assembly has commenced the process of amending the 1999 Constitution.
In February, the Senate constituted a 45-member Constitution Review Committee, led by the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Jibrin Barau.
Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, while inaugurating members of the committee in Abuja, stated that the review of the constitution had become imperative “in order to put certain things right”.
Similarly, the House of Representatives inaugurated its constitutional review committee for the amendment of the 1999 Nigerian constitution as amended.
The Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, while inaugurating the committee, described the step as another significant moment in the democratic journey towards a more ‘perfect union’.
He noted that the sixth alteration under the tenth National Assembly would likely be the most comprehensive, with areas listed for possible consideration including the creation of state police, local government autonomy, and electoral system reform.
