I’ll continue to fight for state police – Fayemi

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi
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Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi says he will not stop fighting for the establishment of state police.

Fayemi spoke at the  Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos  after arriving in the country from South Korea on Tuesday.

He said the future of Nigeria depended on security and, as such, it was high time the country  considered the  establishment of state police.

He said, “My position on state police has not changed, I do not see any evidence on the other side that can change my position. I am not talking as a politician when I talk about state police; I am talking as a security expert, which is my own area and I am not playing politics with it.

“I have a PhD in this area and I know what obtains everywhere in the world. For our police to become more efficient, we need to ensure that we also create  conditions for them to function effectively as it is done everywhere in the world anywhere you have a federal system.”

“It is a norm all over the world anywhere you have a federal system you always have a  police system at every level of the federation, you can do your own research.

“In the United States, Australia, Canada, India and everywhere there is a federation, the police exist at the local level, even at the city level you have state police and federal police.

“They do different work and the work is complementary, and also in many of the states I have highlighted they have a single training institution so that training is regularised.

“In India, the police academy in Hydrabad trains  people both at the local level, provincial level and at the federal level.”

He dismissed the suggestions that Nigeria is not ripe for state police, saying it should be given a chance.

Fayemi said, “Security is the first responsibility of any government. I hope  the National Assembly will do its job.

“Why do we have a police force that is ill-equipped? I buy patrol vehicles, I buy bulletproof cars, I pay for insurance and allowances. And my 35 colleagues also do the same in their states.So if we are responsible for using state money to run the police, but it is not okay for state to control the police, what a contradiction? I don’t think that’s acceptable.

“I think he who pays the piper calls  the tune.  But he should not call  the tune irresponsibly, he should dictate the tune in a manner that is in the overall interest of the people and the police force itself so we can have a much more efficient system.”