Nigeria’s former Senate President and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed his support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government on the issue of state police.

State Police Bill Passes Second Reading

The state police bill, which seeks to transfer the term “police” in the 1999 constitution from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list, passed the second reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The bill was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and 14 others. It proposes to amend sections 34, 35, 39, 42, 84, 89, 129, 153, 197, 214, 215 and 216 of the constitution.

The bill aims to create state police forces that would complement the federal police in maintaining law and order, especially in the face of rising insecurity across the country.

Last week, the federal government inaugurated a committee to explore the creation of state police as a possible solution to the security challenges plaguing the nation.

Wabara Changes His Mind on State Police

Senator Wabara, who was initially opposed to the idea of state police, said he had changed his mind due to the current security realities in the country.

He recalled his earlier interaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State when he (Tinubu) strongly advocated state police, saying he had expected him now as President, to have vigorously pursued it as he did in fuel subsidy removal.

“When I was the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, I led the committee members to meet President Bola Tinubu, then as Governor of Lagos State. He was a strong advocate of state police. But I didn’t see any sense in it then, and I told him it would be abused by Governors,” Wabara said in an exclusive chat with Vanguard in Umuahia.

“But that was my position until recently. Quite frankly, I have changed my mind. There is now an urgent need for state police. I agree with Mr President that we need it now.”

“I don’t even know why he has not made a pronouncement on it just as he did on fuel subsidy removal. The President as Lagos State Governor was very keen on state police then, and I expected him to pursue it with the same vigor he pursued subsidy removal.”

Wabara, however, advised that any state police that did not incorporate community policing would not produce the desired results.

“State Police will amount to a waste of time if it is not combined with community policing because the community is the grass root,” he said.

Wabara Challenges Presidency on Fuel Subsidy

On the recent advice by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) for the Federal Government to eschew pride and review the removal of fuel subsidy, Wabara said that Nigerians had been in the dark concerning the whole truth about fuel subsidy.

He challenged the Presidency to come out clean and disclose to Nigerians all they need to know about subsidies.

“The truth is that Nigerians do not know all about this fuel subsidy thing. Until Nigerians know exactly what it is all about, and those who were collecting this subsidy, this confusion will continue,” he said.

“So, I will expect that Mr. President should expatiate more on the subsidy. Whatever made him remove subsidy in his inaugural speech showed he knew so much about it.”

“Therefore, he should share what he knows about fuel subsidy with Nigerians so he can be better advised. The whole thing is shady. The Presidency should come out and tell Nigerians the real truth. For now, nobody has the full knowledge of what the subsidy is all about.”

Wabara expressed his hope that the state police and the transparency on fuel subsidies would help to improve the security and economic situation of the country.

Source: Vanguard