Nigeria not ripe for state police – Maku

Jos – Information Minister Labaran Maku said on Tuesday that Nigeria was not ripe for state police.

Some governors have continued to clamour for state police, using the argument that the step would empower them, as chief executives of their states, to effectively secure their domains.

From Left: Plateau Commissioner for Water Resources, Malam Idi Waziri; his Information and Communications counterpart, Mr Yiljap Abraham; Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, and Minister of Water Resources,
Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, at the 2x60mva,132/33 Kva Power Substation at Makeri, during The National Good Governance tour in Jos On Tuesday (23/10/12).

But Maku, who led the national good governance tour team, currently in Plateau, to a visit to the Police Staff College, in the outskirts of Jos, said that the nation lacked  adequate facilities to handle that.

He said that the nation’s police force was doing well in spite of the enormous challenges, stressing that advocates of state police had never looked at the area of training.

“Training is very key to success, unfortunately those asking for state police have not looked at that area.’’

The minister rejected incessant allegations of corruption slapped on the police by members of the public, and declared that there was no human institution that may not host some bad eggs from within it.

In his remarks, Mr Bala Hassan, the Commandant of the college, said that 53 intervention projects were being carried out in the institution.

He expressed optimism that the projects would address the challenges of the 36-year old college.

Hassan listed some of the projects to include a clinic, three blocks of hostels, 900 offices and lecture halls. (NAN)