*20 states have till to turn in a report.
The Federal Government announced yesterday that states are delaying the deployment of state police.
Vice President Kashim Shettima frowned at the National Economic Council’s (NEC) Ad-hoc Committee on State Policing Initiative’s glacial pace and the lackluster responses from certain governors.
Merely sixteen states have responded favorably to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and 36 governors’ resolution to initiate the state policing model’s machinery one month ago.
The Vice President, who presides over the National Economic Council (NEC), urged the remaining 20 governors to present their suggestions at the NEC meeting the next month during yesterday’s meeting.
Following the rising tide of insecurity—banditry, kidnappings, homicides, and other types of violence—across the nation, the president and governors decided to establish state police.
Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, reaffirmed the governors’ dedication to the suggested policing agenda.
He claimed that they thought the security framework’s basic faults could be fixed by state policing.
Additionally, AbdulRazaq stated that the NGF thought state police should be addressed in the proposed constitutional change.
During the digitally facilitated 140th NEC meeting, Shettima and AbdulRazaq spoke.
Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), stated that the state answers fell short of expectations during his presentation on the initiative’s development.
According to his report, the states that turned in their findings suggested amending the constitution to provide the recommendations with official legal standing.
After examining the states’ answers, Shettima issued a deadline for the remaining 20 states to take immediate action.
According to a statement from Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Shettima voiced her displeasure with the postponement.
“The Vice President noted the presentation, but expressed disappointment with the low number of state submissions. He encouraged the states that haven’t done so to contribute as soon as possible to facilitate in-depth discussions on the topic at the upcoming Council meeting,” the statement read.
The governors “highlighted the need for state policing as a critical amendment in the ongoing 1999 Constitution amendment proceedings to correct fundamental flaws in the national security architecture,” according to the press release issued following the meeting.
In order to prevent a potential economic and sociopolitical disaster, AbdulRazaq also delivered a report from the NEC’s Ad-hoc Committee on Economic Affairs. This committee was tasked with creating a workable and practical plan for resolving economic challenges that affect Nigerians at the national and sub-national levels.
A brief update on its task was also given by the NEC Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control, which is led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Uzodimma reported that the committee convened, engaged in extensive discussions, and implemented suitable technology for gathering data. She also mentioned that the complete report would be showcased during the subsequent NEC gathering.
Additionally, NEC was given a report by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) on the Ease of Doing Business Reforms, which praised the secretariat’s current efforts.
It was mentioned that in order to make conducting business in Nigeria easier, states needed to start getting ready for the 2025 sub-national ranking.
Additionally, NEC gave its ad hoc committee on economic issues instructions to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Finance and devise a suitable strategy for mitigating risks related to loan facilities from development partners.
