“Governors Will Destroy State Police as Local Government If…” – Abaribe Warns

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South Senatorial District has cautioned the Senate against creating a state police system that could be subjected to political interference and financial manipulation by state governors, warning that such an arrangement could worsen insecurity and abuse of power.

Speaking during deliberations on the proposed constitutional framework for state policing, Abaribe argued that funds meant for state police should be paid directly to the State Police Commission and guaranteed by the Constitution, rather than being controlled by state governments.

According to the senator, allowing governors to control state police funding would mirror the challenges currently associated with local government finances, where allocations are often alleged to be diverted or controlled by state governments.

“Governors will destroy state police the same way they destroyed the local government if the funds meant for state police do not go directly to the State Police Commission,” Abaribe warned.

He expressed concern that inadequate funding could encourage corruption within the proposed state police structure, particularly in the South-East, where he said residents already contend with numerous security checkpoints.

“For people like us who come from the South-East, where you can see up to four checkpoints within one kilometre, you could end up seeing 100 checkpoints because officers would be forced to fund themselves if there is no guaranteed funding,” he said.

Abaribe also called for stronger constitutional safeguards against the unilateral takeover of state police by the President. He argued that any such action should require the involvement and approval of the National Assembly rather than resting solely on presidential discretion.

“We cannot have a situation where the President simply writes a letter because he is not on good terms with a governor and decides to take over the state police. That power should also be shared with the National Assembly, just as we have provided in matters relating to a state of emergency,” he stated.

The senator further noted that while states currently enjoy improved revenues, economic conditions could change in the future, making constitutional guarantees for state police funding essential to ensure operational independence and effectiveness.