Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has underscored the need for the proposed state police system to be designed solely for combating crime and safeguarding public safety, not for political manipulation.
In an interview aired on TVC on Saturday, following a gathering of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Sani sought to allay fears that governors might exploit the state police structure for political ends.
He insisted that with robust legislation, such misuse can be prevented.
“The issue of fears. When you are crafting a law, it depends on the crafters of the law,” he stated.
“There cannot be any abuse if this law is crafted in such a way that won’t allow governors to abuse it. That is how to address it.”
Sani maintained that the legislation enabling state police must be explicit in its purpose, which should focus entirely on combating insecurity.
“The crafters of that bill can make it clear that the only focus should be on criminalities, not on political issues,” he added.
“Let’s relegate the issue of politics and address insecurity.”
According to the governor, tackling insecurity is a prerequisite for sustainable development across sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
“The issue of security is very important when we are talking about healthcare, education, and infrastructure,” he said.
“They cannot be possible when there is insecurity. Don’t talk about naira and kobo when we are talking about saving the lives of our people. Let’s leave the issues of funding. We must fund it.”
Governor Sani’s comments arrive at a time when northern leaders are pushing for the National Assembly to fast-track a constitutional amendment that would shift policing from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list, thereby creating room for the establishment of state police.