Kaduna Governor UBA SANI assured that the governor would not abuse the proposed state police system if legislation is carefully enacted to prevent political intervention and abuse.
Sani said in an interview with TVC after the Northern Governors Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Committee meeting that appropriate legal safeguards can ensure that the policing structure remains focused on criminal activities only.
Northern leaders collectively called on the National Assembly to speed up the passage of bills aimed at amending the 1999 Constitution by moving the term “police” from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, thus enabling states to establish their own police forces. The proposal has responded differently, with critics expressing concerns that the governor can use state police to gain political benefits and suppress opposition voices. Supporters believe that a decentralized policing system will enhance security and reduce reliance on the federal government.
Governor Sani addressed concerns about potential abuse and funding in an interview, saying the success of the initiative lies in the way legislation was drafted. “If the law fails to allow the governor to abuse in such a way that law is made, there will be no abuse,” he said. “The craftsmen of the bill can make it clear that the only focus should be on crime, not on political issues. Let’s downgrade the political issues and address insecurity.”
Stunni stressed that security is a prerequisite for development, warning that without peace and security, state governments would have difficulty improving health care, education and infrastructure. “When we talk about health care, education and infrastructure, security issues are very important. When we feel insecure, they are impossible. When we talk about saving people’s lives, don’t talk about Naira and Kobo. Let’s leave a funding issue. We have to fund it.”
He added that in some states, ongoing security challenges have hindered infrastructure development, highlighting the urgent need for a more sensitive and locally driven security framework.
