Don’t Politicise State Police, Veteran Journalists Advise Governors

Veteran journalists have cautioned state governors against turning the proposed state police system into a political tool.

They warned the governors that such a move could undermine the efforts to address the country’s worsening security challenges.

The senior journalists gave the admonition yesterday during the election of the new executives of the Kwara State chapter of the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ) in Ilorin.

Speaking with journalists after the election, the re-elected chairman of NALVEJ, Alhaji Tunde Akanbi, said state police could become an effective mechanism for tackling insecurity if it is implemented in the interest of the people and insulated from political interference.

He urged President Bola Tinubu and other stakeholders to involve Nigerians in ongoing discussions on state policing, noting that public confidence would be crucial to the initiative’s success.

“We are appealing to Mr President to carry people along, especially on the issue of state police. It can work if we want it to work. It is not people from Ghana, South Africa or America that will come and supervise state police for us. It is Nigerians who will make it work,” he said.

Akanbi acknowledged concerns in some quarters that governors could deploy state police for political purposes but insisted that responsible leadership and accountability would prevent such abuses.

Other members of the executive are Comrade Olu Ajayi (vice chairman), Christy Doyin (secretary), Rev. Felix Ajide (assistant secretary), Alhaji Sule Sabi (treasurer), Alhaja Jumoke Adeyemi (financial secretary), Mr Gbenga Olarinoye (welfare officer) and Alhaji Abdullahi Olesin (publicity secretary).

At the ceremony, the state commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, hailed NALVEJ members for their support for the state government.

Represented by the director of Information, Mr Ademola Olarewaju, the commissioner assured the senior journalists of the state government’s continued support.