Abuja: A media policy think-tank, Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), has urged the National Assembly to invoke the doctrine of necessity to speed up the process of establishing state police in the country. The Chairman of IMPI, Dr Omoniyi Akinsiju, stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Akinsiju attributed the call by the group to the delay in putting a decentralised policing structure in place for the creation of state police, saying this called for concern. He acknowledged the efforts being made to establish the state police as part of the nation’s security apparatus, emphasizing the importance of a police force that forms the foundation of the country’s internal security architecture.
Akinsiju argued that police officers should be recruited from and deployed to the local environment they are familiar with. He noted that officers would be better placed due to their knowledge of the culture and familiarity with their environment. He urged the National Assembly to invoke the doctrine of necessity to ensure the passage of the law creating state police without delay.
The IMPI chairman also called on state governments to involve various communities and stakeholders in security matters within their respective domains. He highlighted the need for governments at all levels to facilitate community involvement in security through community mobilisation.
Akinsiju explained that such involvement would mobilise, engage, and empower community members to take ownership of and actively participate in addressing issues and challenges facing their community. This would involve bringing together stakeholders within a community, including community leaders, local organisations, and government agencies, to work towards common goals.
He further stated that the aim is to foster solutions that support good governance, accountability, representative participation, and peaceful change. Participation in community mobilisation, according to Akinsiju, is about addressing the interests of the entire community, with security as a top priority.