States, not FG, funding Nigerian police ― Fayemi

The governor of Ekiti State and Chairman Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has revealed that it is the various state governments that are funding Nigerian police commands under their jurisdictions and not the Federal Government.

He also said if the South-West states have not come together to form Amotekun

when they did, the insecurity situation in the region by now would have been very worse.

The governor gave this revelation on Monday in Lagos at the 6th convocation lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) Ogba, where he was a guest lecturer. He spoke on “The Media, Security and Nation-building.”

According to him, it is a flimsy excuse that the federal government has enough burdens and therefore cannot fund the state police as many of us have been canvassing a multi-level policing for the country.

He said, “I can tell you for free that be as it may, state governors are the ones running the federal police institutions in their various states. They are the ones buying them vehicles; they are the ones giving them life insurance, giving them allowances, buying diesel and so forth for them.

“The only thing governors don’t have is the control over them as they get permission to carry out even governor’s instructions on security issues from their superior, who is the Inspector General of Police.

“That is why at times when the commissioner takes excuse out of politeness to get to the office after receiving security instruction from governors, they go no office other than to use the period to brief the IGP and get his consent.

“And you can only see them again on that issue if the IGP has given them permission, otherwise, you won’t see them again if IGP is not in agreement to such instruction.”

So, even though, the police are under your jurisdiction as a state governor, they are accountable to IGP.”

While re-emphasising the need for Nigeria to operate multi-level policing, which he said not tantamount to removal of the federal police, Fayemi said by that arrangement, the Federal police would be superintending over federal crimes such as trans-borders’ crimes and terrorism irrespective of the states those crimes happen and so forth while crimes that are local in nature should be referred to the state or local police that understand the tradition, culture and the mood of the people of ta locality.

He, however, said no matter how long the delay may be, Nigeria would certainly create multi-level policing, adding that such is the best way to go.

He said the argument that the state governors would pocket the money of state police and also turn them to instruments of harassment of their political opponents are not enough to reject the birth of the state police

The governor said afterall the Federal Police are also harassing innocent people, using himself as a victim of their harassment even as a sitting governor in 2014 during the election and also the ENDSARS protest of last year, among others.

On the role of the media on security and nation-building, the governor charged the media and the practitioners to increase their tempo in ensuring that government and political leaders are held more accountable to the people.

He, however, commended the leadership of NIJ for producing another round of graduates and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the institute, while congratulated the graduating students on their academic achievements, asking them to see themselves as positive change agents.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Governing council of NIJ, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, who was represented by his deputy and veteran journalist, Mr Ray Ekpu, said the high insecurity situation in the country coupled with gross injustice and impunity has really put Nigeria into a great mess.

He said the media must have to strive to discharge their responsibility professionally and ethically without fear or favour so as to make life more meaningful to the people.

On his part, the former head of the Department of Mass Communications, University of Lagos, Akoka, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, said the government would need to respect the media and the practitioners and not to Intime date them for any reason.

According to him, the media is to hold government across levels accountable and responsible and in performing those roles; they should not be treated unfairly by the government or any of their agents.

He said it was more disturbing as a country that the government could be engaging in fake news while accusing media platforms of the same crime.

He, however, said the government should understand that another name for democracy is a free press and therefore should be cautious in performing regulator excessiveness over them.

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States, not FG, funding Nigerian police ― Fayemi