Osayande committee rejects state police.

By Vincent Ikuomola.

Osayande

...Wants ministry of police affairs scrapped ...Seeks fiscal autonomy for force

Advocates of state police seems to be losing the battle as the Presidential Committee on the re-organisation of the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday kicked against the idea.

The committee in a report suggested that the Ministry of Police Affairs be scrapped because of its irrelevance.

The former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Parry Osayande- led committee submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.

The committee based its opposition to the call for state police to what it called inability of states governments to fund the project.

Besides, the committee said such a move will lead to eventual break up of Nigeria. 

Rather than it advocated for a funding of the police by all three tiers of government.

Osayande, who spoke to State House Correspondents, after presenting the report to the president, said that a stronger and more efficient National Police Council with effective participation of state governors; financial autonomy and better professionalism for the police will deal with the agitation for state police.

"State police? It is irrelevant. The states cannot afford it. Do you know how much it is to police a country? What we are recommending is that they allow the Police Council to function.

"The President is the chairman, the chairman of Police Service Commission is a member, governors are members, the IGP is a member, and (governors) will bring their policing plan to the council. They will now decide on what to do. We don't need state police; the country will break up, take it from me."

He further explained that "the Constitution provides a trilateral arrangement for the organisation and administration of the Nigeria Police Council, the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police.

"However, it is a known fact that the Nigeria Police Council is inactive as it hardly meets, and hence does not fulfill its constitutionally assigned role of administering, organising and generally supervising the Nigeria Police Force,"  the ex-police chief said.

On police funding, the committee’s report noted that since policing is a capital intensive venture, the current funding system of mere federal budgetary allocation cannot be sufficient. 

The report stated that it is either that funding of the Police be made a first line charge or an intervention/special fund be created to accommodate the needs of the force.