“No Governor Should Complain About Funding State Police” – Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said no state governor should complain about funding as an obstacle to the establishment of state police, insisting that states already have the financial capacity to begin the process.

Speaking during an interview with Nifemi Oguntoye of TVC on national security, Kalu argued that increased federal allocations under the administration of President Bola Tinubu have strengthened the financial position of state governments, making it possible for them to initiate the implementation of state policing.

According to him, while additional financial support for state police is being considered at the national level, governors should not delay taking the first steps.

“No governor should complain about funding state police. They can kickstart it, even if something is coming on board to help the governors, but they can kickstart it,” Kalu said.

The Deputy Speaker disclosed that the National Assembly is exploring sustainable funding mechanisms for state police, including setting aside a dedicated percentage of national revenue to support the initiative.

“As a parliament, we are not looking for funds; we are looking for places where we can get one or two per cent to be dedicated to the state police,” he stated.

Kalu stressed that the overriding objective of the proposed state police system is to improve security across the country by protecting lives and property.

“All we are concerned about is to safeguard the lives and properties of the people, so funding should not be an issue,” he added.

He expressed satisfaction that there is now a broad national consensus on the need for state police, noting that attention has shifted from debate to implementation.

“I’m happy that we have a national consensus. Now it is time to operationalise it. We will resolve that in the coming days,” Kalu said.

Recall that the Senate approved constitutional amendments to establish State Police after President Bola Tinubu sent a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate for the creation of state police on Tuesday.