The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Thursday, faulted the argument of the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution rejecting the bill seeking the creation of state police.
Recall that the lawmakers had earlier voted against the proposal to amend section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to remove security from the exclusive legislative list on the grounds that the country is in a fragile state; hence, caution must be applied in giving powers over security matters to State Governors.
But the apex Christian body, in a swift reaction, accused the legislators of hypocrisy, saying their stance was a deliberate attempt to play down the demand for an overhaul of the nation’s security system.
In a chat with Vanguard, the Special Assistant to the CAN President on Media and Communication, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, said: “We have been consistent in calling for the state police, but it is becoming clearer by the day that the powers that be have refused to listen to the voice of reason.
“The present security architecture is not working. That is why our nation is ripe for an overhaul. The absence of the State Police is an aberration of any democratic state.
“We borrowed the Presidential system of government from the US, but in America, every tier of the government has its own police. Therefore, the argument against the state police is no longer tenable.
“Enough of the hypocrisy. If we can allow Hisbah or Sharia police in the North, why can’t we have full-blown State Police across the country?
“We are not asking for the scrapping of the federal police. They will still be in operation to, amongst other things, provide support and logistics to the State Police when the need arises.”
