Former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, has spoken strongly against the creation of state police in Nigeria, stressing that such a move could dangerously empower state governors to manipulate security agencies for political purposes.
Omehia made his position known in Abuja during an interview with Journalists on Tuesday, while also unveiling his latest book titled “Restructuring Nigeria: The Way Forward.”
According to the seasoned lawyer, the introduction of state-controlled police forces in Nigeria would likely be abused, as many governors have shown little commitment to democratic values and transparency in governance. He noted that such forces could become tools for intimidation and electoral violence.
“You can see now that in Nigeria, violence is a tool in politics to win an election. If state police are created, it becomes an easy and willing tool to be used for every election by the governors to attack political opponents,” Omehia said.
He further emphasized that unlike countries such as the United States of America, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India — where state policing systems work effectively due to strict adherence to constitutional provisions — Nigeria faces the challenge of poor constitutional obedience and abuse of power.
The former governor also stated that security should remain primarily the responsibility of the Federal Government, even though the burden is heavy. “From my book, the security of the country should be the responsibility of the federal government. It could be overstretching, but I am not subscribing to state police,” he explained.
On electoral reforms, Omehia proposed significant changes to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He argued that the appointment of the INEC national chairman by the executive compromises independence. Instead, he suggested that both the chairman and commissioners should emerge through elections at national and provincial levels.
“In my book, I suggested that instead of appointment, there must be an election to bring in who becomes INEC national chairman,” he stated, adding that INEC’s financial independence should also be constitutionally guaranteed to avoid manipulation.
Omehia further advocated fiscal federalism, where states retain 50 percent of their internally generated revenue, remit 50 percent to proposed provincial governments, which would then share with the federal government. This system, he argued, would empower states and bring governance closer to the people.
He stressed that restructuring is not about creating new states or reverting to regional governance, but about empowering sub-national governments for better service delivery.
okay.ng reports that Omehia’s latest interventions, contained in his new book, reflect widespread calls for political restructuring by academics, traditional rulers, and civic stakeholders.
