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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has promised to bring to a halt the perennial farmer/herder clashes, especially in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, if elected into power in 2027.
He said that part of his strategy is to back the establishment of a strong state policing system that would decentralise the police force and make it more efficient and responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
Speaking in Jos, the APM presidential hopeful said that the establishment of a strong state police is one of the reforms his administration is proposing in Nigeria’s security architecture to end insecurity in the country under an APM government in 2027.
According to him, “There’s need to decentralise our security architecture and state police is one of the ways to achieve this, but it must be properly structured.”
While noting that more than 20 state legislatures had already endorsed the establishment of state police, Makinde advocated that action should not be taken wholesale, as states that are ready should be allowed to establish their own police forces, while others can establish theirs when they have fine-tuned their own strategies.
“States do not necessarily have to establish state police at the same time. Those that are ready can begin, provided the necessary safeguards are in place.”
Makinde, who recalled his earlier efforts to make the state police a reality, said: “When we approached President Buhari in 2019, one of the concerns he raised was that some states could not even pay workers’ salaries. He questioned how such states would be able to fund state police.”
He explained that this was what gave birth to Amotekun in the South West, when states in the western region decided to find a middle ground to solve the insecurity problems in the region.
While acknowledging the concerns raised by Nigerians on the issue of state police, Makinde said: “We must not pretend that there are no concerns. Some people are worried that governors could use state police to oppress their opponents or intimidate citizens. Those concerns are valid, and we must put safeguards in place.
“But the fact that something can be abused does not mean we should not do it. We must design a system that ensures accountability and protects the rights of the people.”
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Makinde said that Nigeria has the population, especially of youthful age, that could form the bulk of the members of the state police force.
He said that this could be one of the strategies for engaging the youths and taking them off the streets.
“We have a population of over 300 million people, with more than 70 per cent below the age of 34. We must create opportunities for these young people, particularly our large youth population, required urgent attention from government.
“If we fail to provide pathways for them to succeed, we should not be surprised when some of them turn to crime or other activities that threaten the stability of the country,” he said.
On the economy, Makinde said that his proposed Reset Agenda would address Nigeria’s lingering economic and governance issues.
He said what Nigeria needed was “not superficial adjustment, but fundamental changes in all facets of life.”
He said that the situation had gone so bad that changes had gone beyond scratching the surface, requiring a holistic and total change.
He cited the dwindling purchasing power of the nation’s currency and the fact that Nigerians now live below the poverty level, adding: “The economy must work for everybody. We should not just be talking about foreign reserves, World Bank figures or inflation statistics. What matters is whether ordinary Nigerians can afford to feed themselves and meet their basic needs.”
He said his proposed administration would prioritise skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, education and production.
Earlier, the presidential hopeful had visited Bauchi State, where he is expected to hold a town hall meeting in Jos.
