Police Reform - Why Governors Should Be Protesting Too!

To be honest I feel for a few of the Governors who have been trying to respond to the legit demands of young people on #endsars . Very few people know that Governors are toothless and cannot reform the police. Here’s why.

According to the constitution of Nig, the President of the federal republic is actually a powerful person; arguably the most powerful in the world, especially when it comes to the control of armed and unarmed forces. Our constitution gives him the total control over,
#endsars

The military, DSS, brigade of guards, and the police. Even though Nigeria is a federation, the police force is unitary in its structure. According to the section 214 of our constitution, it establishes the police force, by extension the Police Force Council, #endsars

with the President as the Chairman. He also appoints the IGP. While the The NPF Council is constituted by the President, IG, PSC Chairman and the 36 states Governors. The latter are really like passengers on a train, whose itinerary they have little influence over. #endsars

It will interest you that Nigeria of course runs a system of Govt that is very similar to the United States. However, it always appears to me as though we copied what we liked and left what we didn’t like. Whereas, what we didn’t like (or copy) is actually what makes #endsars

what we liked work. For example in the US, you have NYPD (New York Police Dept), LAPD (Los Angelis Police Dept) etc, directly under the jusdictiom of the states, and under the control of the governors. Its budget, training, welfare etc are State’s responsibility. #endsars

More importantly, the composition of the force is also of the state, with locals who understand the culture, history and political dynamics of the state. The federal govt in the US (whose system we copied) does not interfere with state, unless the governor requests. #endsars

If there’s a state crisis that the police can no longer handle, as we saw in some states this year during the BLM protests, Governors could request for the national guard.

Coming back home, in Lagos, you have a police force that the governor has no direct control #endsars

over its Police Commissioner. They’re also mostly never from even the state. That goes for other states across Nigeria. It will interest you that even though a state like Lagos has no control over its police, it still funds part of the police’ operations. #endsars

As things stand, state govts make laws, federal govt enforces; and state pays for it. That’s why it’s not working. The whole system is broken, and needs a complete overhaul. #SARS for instance is a federal idea, not state’s. But the governors are dealing with the mess. #EndSARS

People were outraged when the Governor of Borno said he wanted SARs. Why not? That’s exactly the beauty of state police (and of a restructured country, I should say here). That Borno requires SARs to deal with its internal security issues doesn’t mean Abia does. #endsars

Thus, reforming the police is not a day’s job. It goes beyond increasing salaries, improving where they live etc. those things are great but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. Were we to do the hard job of reforming the police, we need the following: #endsars

1. A constitutional amendment
2. Creation of State Police; e.g; KSDU (Kaduna State Police Unit)
3. At least 75% of rank/fire of state is of the contiguous state
4. The CP should be from the state. The ability to speak the language of the locals is key to policing

#endsars

5. Creation of a new compensation system

These are just some of the key things that a reform will involve. And someone might be wondering, but we don’t trust the governors not to abuse their powers if they control the police. Well, it’s because we’re shying away #endsars

From the hardwork that needs to be done. After all, you don’t avoid driving cars because of accidents, you simply get insurance polite. Without checks and balances, even the president will abuse the army, DSS and police combined. #endsars

So as we protest for police reform as a part of the #endsars agenda, let’s also be clear on exactly what we mean by reform. Increasing police salary is not this reform. This is why, behind the energy on the streets, there must be clear minds in a room who are working on details.

The devil is always in the details.

A Governor cannot be called the Chief Security Officer his/her State, but has no police to do the job.

As the nation stands with young people who are making the right demands, let’s use this opportunity to make the right changes.

#endsars