Prof. Pat Utomi, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party hereby calls on the federal government to as a matter of urgency activate a dramatic increase in funding allocations to state security institutions.
This is now crucial because the increasing deterioration in the standard and quality of life of Nigerians is severely compounding the already unsound state of our union.
Having spoken many times during the campaign season on police reform but observing that security continues to deteriorate and policing remains challenged, it is important to raise the issue again for consideration.
Violent crime, juvenile delinquency, strife,-particularly in the Niger Delta region, and other social vices, which are unabating and appear to have become the order in our country today, however constitute an open sore on Nigeria's conscience and has become both a source of global embarrassment and threat to national income.
Prof. Utomi proposes urgent constitutional developments with regard to police reforms focused on multi-tier (federal, state and local government) policing, significant increase in number and quality of men in uniform, equipping the force to be mobile and effective in communication.
More importantly, noting that allocations to the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police Force are embarrassingly low and must be reviewed upwards significantly, the reforms must ensure that remuneration packages are competitive, and commensurate the risks of officers' undertaking. Prof. Utomi states that there is no reason a police constable should take home less than N50, 000.
He deems it regrettable that even in the face of acknowledgement and frontal address of the issue by the Lagos state government for instance, we have so far seen no initiative from the Federal government pointing to an appreciation of the severe state of insecurity of lives and property of Nigerians.
Having lost the inventiveness of in leading such a critical enterprise, the Federal Government should follow by immediately initiating joint police/military anti-crime establishments nationally, as a first phase while police reforms take root and involvement of Military is withdrawn.
The Federal government must also establish a national stakeholder intervention body comprising the public and private sector to aid the visioning, design, and administration of the state security direction, and the process institutionalized to give voice to all stakeholders, draw on their material and ideas generosity, and keep the collaboration accountable to all stakeholders.
Prof. Utomi also expresses concern specifically with the state of War in the Niger Delta and urges more political effort. The situation deteriorated so badly because the governors of the ancient regime did not do enough and the legitimacy crisis from the April polls weakens the hands of those now at the helms in those states.
On his part, Prof. Utomi assures Nigerians of a more secure Nigeria in view of the soon to commence federal shadow cabinet of the ADC party and the New-Nigeria Movement, whose activities are geared towards ensuring a new Nigeria with harmonious and prosperous co-existence for its peoples.
By Prof. Pat Utomi
Monday, September 10, 2007
