The National Economic Council (NEC) on Wednesday urged four states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)that are yet to make their positions on the creation of State Police known to submit their report on or before 9 September. The acting governor of Oyo state, Adebayo Lawal, disclosed this at the end of the 144th NEC
The National Economic Council (NEC) on Wednesday urged four states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)that are yet to make their positions on the creation of State Police known to submit their report on or before 9 September.
The acting governor of Oyo state, Adebayo Lawal, disclosed this at the end of the 144th NEC meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja which was also hosted the Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates.
NEC had some time in 2023 considered the establishment of a State Police. By February 2024, the proposal had received the blessings of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who gave his nod for the process to proceed constitutionally though there was a feeble resistance from the Inspector General of Police.
The 36 States were then advised to take the matter to their States, take a position on it, and submit a report to the NEC. When the NEC considered an update on the subject matter, only four States namely Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Adamawa including the Federal Capital Territory were yet to submit their reports.
The NEC is the constitutional economic advisory body to the Federal Government, and it is chaired by the Vice-President and comprises State Governors, the Central Bank Governor, Finance Minister, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The 144th NEC meeting was attended by several Governors and Deputy Governors who represented their States. Also in the closed-door meeting were some Ministers as well as some state commissioners.
Consequently, the NEC gave Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Adamawa states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) till 9 September 2024 to submit their reports on the establishment of state police.
According to Mr. Lawal, the council would make appropriate decisions if the states failed to present their reports on September 9. His words: “An update on the establishment of state police was considered, and this was as a result of the security situation challenges that we have across the nation in north-east, north-central, south-west, south-east and south-south,” he said.
“Today, all the states were supposed to submit their reports for consideration of the NEC. Incidentally, four states couldn’t submit.
“NEC decided that those states must make their submissions on or before Monday, September 9th; otherwise, whatever decision NEC takes on the establishment of state police is binding on those states that refuse to make submissions.”
He said on 15 February, 2024, the federal government set up a committee to explore the creation of state police in the country.
The decision to explore the creation of State Police as a potent solution to the security challenges in the country, however, did not receive the support of the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun.
Mr. Lawal did not elaborate on why Alhaji Dangote and Mr. Bill were invited to the meeting which was presided by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
