Govs submitting state police memoranda to NEC, NSA waste of time – Makinde

• Makinde stated the National Economic Council or the National Security Adviser were not legally equipped to handle such security matter

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says the way the Federal Government and some state governors are going about the creation of state police is wrong and won’t yield the desired result.

Speaking in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Makinde chided the 16 governors’ who submitted a report on the matter to the National Economic Council, NEC.

The governor asserted that the submission of memoranda by governors for state police was a waste of time.

NEC had on Thursday confirmed receiving memoranda from 16 governors who expressed their support for establishing state police. They said it would help tackle the plethora of security challenges confronting the nation.

However, 20 other governors were yet to forward their reports to enable the NEC to act on them.

Weighing in on the matter, Makinde said the issue of state police was a constitutional matter and should be handled by the national assembly and then the states’ legislative bodies.

“I did not submit any memorandum on state police. But my position is very clear about state police. I see it, quite frankly, as a waste of our time.

“I did not submit, not because of arrogance but because I don’t think the approach will quickly get us to where we want to go. You are asking the states to submit memoranda on how state police will work.”

Makinde stated the National Economic Council or the National Security Adviser were not legally equipped to handle such security matter.

He argued that the issue must pass through the parliament since it is a constitutional matter before being replicated at the state houses of assembly.

The governor said: “The National Assembly, they know what to do. They have people that can quickly do this work.

“It is not the National Security Adviser or the National Economic Council that will deal with the issue of state police.

“It is a constitutional thing and should go to the National Assembly. Then, at the state level, we get our state houses of assembly to pass this law.”