Vice president Yemi Osinbajo has thrown his weight behind those advocating for state police, saying that managing multi-ethnic groups like Nigeria may prove difficult and costly, and therefore, the state police are the way to go.
The statement was made available through his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, who stated that the process is also exerting as it challenges the values and tolerance of the citizens from diverse backgrounds.
Mr. Osinbajo was speaking on Saturday at a conference on National Development organized by the global patriot’s newspaper in collaboration with the Nigerian consulate in New York and Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), New Jersey Chapter.
According to the Vice president, nation-building is “a challenge thrown to everyone, to build, not to destroy” and “to add to, not to take away”.
“The task of nation-building is exerting and may even appear messy as the process continues, especially in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation like Nigeria,” he reportedly said.
He opined that it may be costly the challenge it poses on patience and tolerance of citizens, demanding every state should have their state police to face the unique challenge they face in their individual state.
He said, “We must accept that there is a need for greater decentralization of the police force. I have been a frequent advocate of state policing and I believe this certainly must be the way we must go,”
Osinbajo told the audience that “The National Assembly is in a position to consider some of the proposals that have gone to them for the purposes of devolving more powers to the states for security purposes and for addressing the security challenges.”
