Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed displeasure at the slow pace of the National Economic Council’s (NEC) Ad-hoc Committee on State Policing Initiative. He observed that responses by some governors were discouraging. Though President Tinubu and 36 governors showed commitment to undertaking the task of establishing a state policing model several weeks ago, the anticipated feedback has been received from only 16 states thus, far marking a 44% response rate to the initiative. During the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday, 21 March, the Vice President, who chairs that organ of government, urged the remaining 20 governors to submit their proposals during next month’s NEC meeting. Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, reechoed governors’ commitment to the proposed policing agenda.
He said they believed state policing was capable of correcting existing fundamental flaws in the security framework. AbdulRazaq also said the NGF believes that the proposed constitutional amendment should address state police. Shettima and AbdulRazaq spoke during the 140th NEC meeting, which was held virtually. Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who made a presentation on the progress being made on the initiative, said the responses from the states fell below expectations. His report showed that the states that have submitted their reports recommended changes in the constitution to give legal backing to the proposals. Reviewing the states’ responses, Shettima gave the remaining 20 states an ultimatum to accelerate their action regarding the initiative.
