Nigeria: Include State Police in New Constitution, Speakers Tell National Assembly

The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria yesterday rose from its second quarter meeting, appealing to the National Assembly to use the ongoing constitution review to accommodate community policing and state police in the constitution.

Also, Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, at the meeting, canvassed a cordial working relationship with the respective state executive arm in the interest of democracy and good governance.

The speakers made this call in a communique they issued after the meeting yesterday, asking the National Assembly to accommodate both state police and community policing in the constitution review.

In the communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Conference, Hon Abubakar Suleiman, the conference decried the spate of insecurity in the country but commended the federal government for fighting insecurity nationwide.

It asked major stakeholders to use the ongoing constitution review to accommodate community policing and state police to effectively tackle insecurity bedeviling the country.

It commended the governors that commenced the implementation of the financial autonomy in their states while urging the other state governors to follow suit as agreed in the memorandum of action signed by all the stakeholders.

It commended Okowa and the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for hosting the meeting to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the nation.

The communique called on all state houses of assembly to pass Funds Management Bill for Assent of the governors within 45 days window as agreed to by all the stakeholders.”

In his opening remarks, Okowa said he was glad to see speakers of 36 states’ houses of assembly in the country regularly come together to share experiences, thoughts, and ideas on how to institute a robust democratic culture that would move the country forward.

He said: “It goes without saying that the executive and legislative arms in a presidential system of government have critical roles to play in promoting good governance, ensuring political stability, and fostering sustainable economic growth.

“Where the relationship is characterized by mutual distrust, suspicion, friction, and conflict, it leads to crisis and -failure of government to deliver on its policies and programmes.

“However, where both arms see themselves as partners and understand the spirit and letter of the principles of the separation of powers, the inevitable outcome is effective policy formulation and implementation, which leads to excellent service delivery.

“It is a thing of joy that Nigeria has had twenty-two years of unbroken democratic rule. Also worthy of note is that we have made significant progress in executive-legislature relations, especially after the initial hiccups in the early years of the Fourth Republic.

“The first step to building sustainable partnership between the executive and legislative arms of government for effective service delivery is for both organs of government to work with the consciousness that separation of power is imperative for good governance.

“Each must realise that the principle of checks and balances as constitutionally provided for is to prevent abuse of power. If allowed to fester, abuse of power will circumvent the rights and will of the governed. Hence, the relationship between the two arms should be governed by trust, mutual respect and deference, each bearing in mind the tenets of separation of powers as required in the presidential system of government.

“It is exigent that both see themselves as complementary partners working towards the same goal, which is the development of the state for the greater good of all. Trouble looms when the executive arrogates to itself the power to do as it wills or the legislature takes undue advantage of its oversight function to twist the arms of the executive for selfish ends.”

Okowa also underscored the importance of financial autonomy for the Legislature and Judiciary, noting that Delta State under his watch was one of the first states to grant full autonomy to the other two arms of government in the country.

By This Day.