Lagos-based socio-political activist and critic Chief Adesunbo Onitiri has urged the National Assembly to urgently create the State Police as the only panacea to insecurity and hunger in the country while reacting to a motion by the Senate asking the Federal Government to open the borders for people to import foods into the country.
The Senate also advised the Federal Government to support farmers with fertilizers, seedlings and tractors to accelerate farm produce to solve the problem of hunger.
Speaking on the development, Onitiri said the arrangement can only be temporary because it could not solve the problem of hunger unless there was sufficient security for the farmers who had been sent away by bandits to go back to their farms.
He also advised the National Assembly to stop playing politics with the salient issue of State Police which Nigerians have been clamoring for, pointing out that both the military and police don’t have the number of men sufficient enough to protect farmers nationwide.
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He also explained that it is not the duty of the military to be going into the bushes to protect farmers but the responsibility of the police who are few in number, emphasising that the creation of State Police is the only solution to the problem of banditry and farmers/herders in the country and only sure means of boosting farm produce to tackle hunger.
Onitiri urged the National Assembly to set in motion all arrangements and modalities to amend the constitution and allow the states to create their own police force, adding that “enough of foot dragging and playing of politics with the the farmers’ lives.
Onitiri also applauded the Supreme Court for its landmark judgment that rescued the local government administrations from the stronghold of the state governments, advising state governments to abide by the Supreme Court decision and allow the local governments to serve the rural communities effectively for them to reap the dividends of democracy.
“The local government autonomy is a laudable achievement of President Bola Tinubu which is worthy of commendation. Besides, our Vice President, Senator Kashim Shetima should be saddled with the full responsibility of restoring peace in the Northern States and pacify the bandits and the armed Fulani herdsmen to give peace a chance,” he added.
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