Great

Nice!

I like this formation senate is coming with 4-4-2
At the end impeachment

Is this the solution to Nigeria's problems? Msheww @NASS get busy abeg! NASS my A$$

The fact remains that as long as the FG is directly funding all of them, they remain under their control[/quote]
Who do you mean by FG? Is the legislature not a part of the fed? I take it you mean the Executive branch. Even that is a fallacy because the Appropriation Act that makes money available for spending is the property of the legislature. So who is funding who !

freeze001:
All this knee-jerk amendments are just scratching the surface. The FG has too much unnecessary power and responsibilities. They need to go to the root of the problem and fůckïng let the regions/states work! How do State governors effectively order the police as final authority when the FG recruits and pays their salaries?

If a Governor gives orders which the FG doesn't like what stops recession from suddenly affecting police salaries n allowances? Why won't there suddenly be a flurry of recalls and postings for 'more effective policing'? It is time for the federating units to mature from breastfeeding to actually earnings and paying dues to the 'federal parents' for maintenance! There should be regional police from which specific numbers are uniformly drawn and drafted into a federal police for federal and inter-state offences. These ones will then be paid by the FG. The regions/states ought to do their recruitment according to their size, needs and income and not this federal policing system that is a complete drag.

For those saying Governors will hijack n misuse police, has the FG not been doing the same thing? Is it not any party a president belongs to that enjoys police patronage except Jonathan that to some extent gave free rein to other political parties? So what is so wonderful about 'federal oppression' that cannot be dealt with at regional/state level? There must be provisions in place to address those fears and arrest the hypocrisy/blackmail against regional/state police!

The law is the law. All these bits and pieces you mentioned dont count. The funds you referred to are public funds.

sunnyside16:
Executive abuse was witnessed during the just concluded Rivers elections

as long as ameachi is in apc the party will die in few years..

the southwest has his own plan, statepolice or given state governor power over commissioner of police will be abuse by state governor. And it may cause ethnic problem Within some region,

The amendment is a sound one in principle. The position of the governor as Chief Executive enables him to know the state in ways that must elude the FG, which is perched far off in the center. It is in fact for this reason that a governor is constitutionally acknowledged as the chief security officer of a state, a title that is mostly meaningless at present. So, yes, the amendment is sound in principle, because it will allow governors respond to local security needs with greater speed and effectiveness.

However, we in Nigeria know that with the current political class there is no escaping the abuse of power. The only question is whether one prefers to be oppressed by a governor or by the President.

CFCman:




The Bill also seeks to nullify the provision in section 215(5) which had prevented any court from entertaining cases arising from such orders issued by the President to the police.

Nigeria has been in a legalised dictatorship by this single provision.

lezz:
Nigeria has been in a legalised dictatorship by this single provision.

My brother, the constitution is one of the most contradictory of any country in the world; and that's not the only contradictory provision.
Section 4 of the same 1999 constitution virtually grants the presidency law-making powers! How absurd is that.

CFCman:

My brother, the constitution is one of the most contradictory of any country in the world; and that's not the only contradictory provision.
Section 4 of the same 1999 constitution virtually grants the presidency law-making powers! How absurd is that.

It's not absurd, not in the least bit, why? Lemme tell you this: when you hand over the mantle of constitution drafting to a bunch of thieving, religious and tribally bastardize individuals to draft, the 1999 constitution is what you'll have.

Rtd General Abdulsalami Abubakar had his islamic croonies up north have a hand in the raping of our constitution. How else do you think Sharia law was smuggled into the constitution?

Personally, I think making the CP answerable to the governors is no different from making them answerable to the president.

It's all a system of dog eat dog.

CFCman:

My brother, the constitution is one of the most contradictory of any country in the world; and that's not the only contradictory provision.
Section 4 of the same 1999 constitution virtually grants the presidency law-making powers! How absurd is that.

It's a perfect depiction of our confused psyche and political subterfuge.

We as a people haven't shredded our military cloaks and at the same time we are draped in civilian costumes.

A federal republic we say, yet have a unitary police system which functions like the president's puppet.

Same constitution that pronounces state governors as Chief security officers of their respective states yet a commissioner of police can lawfully and constitutionally disobey the lawful command of a state governor.

The State commissioners of police are therefore the President's de facto governors
Nigeria is uniquely weird.

who will pay there salaries FG or state. senators pls think well

lezz:
It's a perfect depiction of our confused psyche and political subterfuge.

We as a people haven't shredded our military cloaks and at the same time we are draped in civilian costumes.

A federal republic we say, yet have a unitary police system which function like the president's puppet.

Same constitution that pronounces state governors as Chief security officers of their respective states yet a commissioner of police can lawfully and constitutionally disobey the lawful command of a state government.

Nigeria is uniquely weird.

That's because Nigeria is foolishly run by foolish, daft and mentally inerd people.

The twisting confusion in the constitution that is as contradictory as the literary device contradiction is nothing more than the blatant show of shame by the foolish people who drafted the constitution.

seniorkachion:

The law is the law. All these bits and pieces you mentioned dont count. The funds you referred to are public funds.

Whatever is agreed upon and made law becomes law. It is not a static, immovable rock; what is law today can be repealed tomorrow that is why there must be constant deliberations, dialogue and lobbying.

BurningBlade:
That's because Nigeria is foolishly run by foolish, daft and mentally inerd people.

The twisting confusion in the constitution that is as contradictory as the literary device contradiction is nothing more than the blatant show of shame by the foolish people who drafted the constitution.

The 1999 constitution is just the same as the inherited military Decrees. They just called it a constitution by 1999 and added some pronouncement here and some governing structure there.

Obasanjo saw it, GEJ saw it, Buhari sees it but none of them have the will and political forthrightness to remedy it. And yet we have ignoramuses and sycophants in Nairaland screaming GEJ and Buhari.

I wonder if these blind socio-political plonkers know that the only successful President Nigeria will ever have is the one who can solve Fuel and/or Electricity wahala first.

Then we may begin to have what can be called a country.

CFCman:

My brother, the constitution is one of the most contradictory of any country in the world; and that's not the only contradictory provision.
Section 4 of the same 1999 constitution virtually grants the presidency law-making powers! How absurd is that.

lezz:
The 1999 constitution is just the same as the inherited military Decrees. They just called it a constitution by 1999 and added some pronouncement here and some governing structure there.

This is a very common misapprehension. There is very little wrong with the Constitution; there is everything wrong with the people in government. I challenge you to present a clause in our Constitution that an honest man cannot put to good use.

Indeed the Nigerian situation is due entirely to the lawlessness of leaders, in that they think and conduct themselves as if they're above all our laws, including the Constitution.

It is only recently, since 2003 or so, that laws were made for no other purpose than the gratification of the political class. Most, if not all, of our laws made before then had sound practical applications, especially as those laws were borrowed wholesale from the countries of this world that take laws seriously.

Nigeria is a victim of its leaders, not its laws.

The man is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces, these people don't know what tht means, who pays the police, who is incharge of Recruiting, disciplining and dismissing police officers, is it not the police service commission......and this PSC, is it not under the FG.....

This amendment is dead on arrival, it would not work, would create more harm than good

Imagine wike and fayose having total control of the police in their state


Ur guess is as good as mine

Yossarian:


This is a very common misapprehension. There is very little wrong with the Constitution; there is everything wrong with the people in government. I challenge you to present a clause in our Constitution that an honest man cannot put to good use.

Indeed the Nigerian situation is due entirely to the lawlessness of leaders, in that they think and conduct themselves as if they're above all our laws, including the Constitution.

It is only recently, since 2003 or so, that laws were made for no other purpose than the gratification of the political class. Most, if not all, of our laws made before then had sound practical applications, especially as those laws were borrowed wholesale from the countries of this world that take laws seriously.

Nigeria is a victim of its leaders, not its laws.

This well-worn catchphrase which says "power corrupts and absolute powers corrupt absolutely" is a truism in the Nigerian context.

First off, the 1999 constitution is not a federal constitution. And it grants too much powers to the President. It isn't a matter of honesty. It's a matter of practicability.

The 1999 constitution has given State commissioners of police more powers than an Elected governor so long as he has the President's blessings.

You call that a good constitution?

ddippset:
I'd rather the police is not answerable to anyone, not president, not governor. police should be totally independent. being answerable to governors would be as bad if not worse than being answerable to the president because there will be 36 guys who are capable of using the police against rivals as against just one now.

That's not possible. Nigerians are wiser than that and there are people ready to dare the military or police especially in the south south and the north. But the west hmmm

in all, state police is d way out. d fear of abuse by govnors cud be checkmated by legislative means.

local govt autonomy is not negotiable if we are to practice true democracy.

legislation on state of resudence status should be considered.

Having state police is a good option, but the corrupt tendencies of Nigerian politicians in general,makes the move highly questionable.

However he fed. govt still hold the aces with a very simple idea

1. The NPF funding and equipping will become sole responsibilities of each state governors.
2 Fed. govt. should enact a bill that allows formation of the Federal police ( e.g FBI) with superior funding, equiping and power of over rule in certain criminal cases and jurisdiction across the nation..Lobatan.

No need for too much grammar.

The current (8th) Senate is the most cantankerous, quarrelsome, and antagonist Senate that we have had in a long while.

This Senate has consistently harassed the current President by seeking unnecessary powers and cutting so many powers of the Executive and appropriating such powers to their selfish selves.

The APC is not a political party at all; it is merely an agglomeration of megalomaniacs who sought power for its sake!

How could a Senate with majority of members from the ruling party be the same party members that are always attacking the President (from the same party). The same attitude occurs in the House of Reps!

Give it to PDP, they were very very united! David Mark, as Senate President, worked well with Jonathan. PDP FG also had its way in the 7th Senate, and PDP members backed Jonathan's government 100%. However, this current Senate is an opposition Senate in reality, but a majority Senate on paper only!

Sad!

They should use Ring formation instead of central or linear formation so that Police will just be like independent force and answer call as the case may be. Not that one person will be tweaking them anyhow. This is democracy for Christ sake.

ddippset:
lol. just imagine Wike and Fayose in control of the police! Fayose would slap 3 more judges and Wike would ask for Joseph Mbu to be returned to rivers state.

You just took the words out of my mouth!

ddippset:
lol. just imagine Wike and Fayose in control of the police! Fayose would slap 3 more judges and Wike would ask for Joseph Mbu to be returned to rivers state.

You just took the words out of my mouth!

i tink is because we bring culture into everything atleast we have newyork police dep,okpd,lapd e.t.c nd is nt been abuse let pray 4 d governor to think nd nt to abuse it

freeze001:
All this knee-jerk amendments are just scratching the surface. The FG has too much unnecessary power and responsibilities. They need to go to the root of the problem and fůckïng let the regions/states work! How do State governors effectively order the police as final authority when the FG recruits and pays their salaries?

If a Governor gives orders which the FG doesn't like what stops recession from suddenly affecting police salaries n allowances? Why won't there suddenly be a flurry of recalls and postings for 'more effective policing'? It is time for the federating units to mature from breastfeeding to actually earnings and paying dues to the 'federal parents' for maintenance! There should be regional police from which specific numbers are uniformly drawn and drafted into a federal police for federal and inter-state offences. These ones will then be paid by the FG. The regions/states ought to do their recruitment according to their size, needs and income and not this federal policing system that is a complete drag.

For those saying Governors will hijack n misuse police, has the FG not been doing the same thing? Is it not any party a president belongs to that enjoys police patronage except Jonathan that to some extent gave free rein to other political parties? So what is so wonderful about 'federal oppression' that cannot be dealt with at regional/state level? There must be provisions in place to address those fears and arrest the hypocrisy/blackmail against regional/state police!

Nice points , though not sure if expletives makes them more meaningful.

The police resources consumed varies from state to state and probably will change with time.
If states have to pay for police then the Police budget will have to be redistributed and the formula for redistribution will be very controversial. This will expose the fact that some states get more unaccounted resources from the Centre whether it be policing, maintaining prison population etc. I believe there is more policing spend in Lagos that Ekiti and ditto for inmates in Federal prisons. State would have to start paying for this

There is also the added risk that police resources once reallocated from the centre may be "reprioritized" to other things.

The issue requires a lot more debate and inquiry into practice from around the world.

My view is the police should be truly independent operationally both from the president and from the governors with greater input from the Judiciary.
There are two types of policing I would argue; Those involved in community policing generally and those involving breakdown of law and order . The former should be totally out of political influence and the latter which is more complex would require more thought

CFCman:
• Governors to issue orders to CPs
• We’ll enforce the law, say Police
• Obasanjo, Amosun seek support for officers
• Control by govs recipe for disaster

Nigeria’s Senate is stepping up efforts at saving democracy from executive abuse. It plans to amend the Constitution to decentralise the police force, whittle down the powers of the President over commissioners of police by giving state governors the power of the ‘last command.’

Through a gazetted Senate Bill 346 sponsored by Solomon Olamilekan of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) from Lagos East Senatorial District, the Upper Legislative Chamber has given full powers to governors to issue unconditional directives to the Police in their states.

A copy of the Bill obtained by The Guardian, specifically deleted the proviso in section 215 (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended that empowered the President to overrule any orders given to a Police Commissioner by the state governor.

The Bill also seeks to nullify the provision in section 215(5) which had prevented any court from entertaining cases arising from such orders issued by the President to the police.

Greater control of the police by states will douse tension between the presidency and state governments over local policing, bolster efforts at fighting crime and ease governance. Effective policing at that level would also help states build the required infrastructure to create jobs.

There have been loud calls for political restructuring of the country for effective policing at the state and local government levels in response to rising spate of crime, including insurgency, armed robbery and kidnapping. The idea of state police has received increasing support despite Federal Government’s insistence on total control of the force. It was also part of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan which the current government has refused to implement.

Security experts have however said, without appropriate checks and balances in place, governors’ control of police commissioners in their states would be a “recipe for disaster.”

Managing Director of Beacon Security Consulting, Kabir Adamu, expressed worry that the political situation in Nigeria does not favour the decision, as its implementation would help political and self-serving interest prevail.

He said: “But I think it would be better if one sees the checks and balances the Senate intends to introduce in the new law and to ensure that this very vital institution of law enforcement is not used to serve either political party or self interest. If they do not introduce checks and balances, then it is a recipe for national disaster,” Adamu argued.

Aliu Umar Babangida, who manages the Abuja-based Goldwater &Riversand Consult, a defence and national security firm, agreed with Adamu. “It is necessary but not yet the right time to allow governors exercise control over Commissioners of Police,” he told The Guardian .

The Police force in its reaction said it would simply enforce any law made by the Legislature and signed by the Executive arm of government.

“I can’t comment on political decisions; we are professionals and law enforcers. Whatever law comes into force, we would obey, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Don Awunah, told The Guardian.

He described the Police as an agency vested with the responsibility of enforcing the law, while the National Assembly makes the laws.

The specific amendment that removed the obstacle on the way of state governors in directing the police commissioners reads: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (in this Bill referred to as “the Principal Act”) is altered as set out in this Bill. Section 215 of the Principal Act is altered by deleting the provision to subsection 4.”
The same section 215 is also altered by deleting immediately after the word “shall” in line 3, the word “not” in subsection 5. 3.”

The Bill, when successfully passed by the Senate, will face little hurdle in the state legislatures which are required to endorse any amendment of the constitution by the national legislature before it becomes valued. But with the governors already itching to enjoy powers similar to having a state police, the amendment could have a smooth sail in the 36 Houses of Assembly.

http://guardian.ng/news/senate-cuts-down-presidents-control-of-nigeria-police-force/

No it will be checked and won't be misused.the fg already have full control of the armed forces.

omonnakoda:

Nice points , though not sure if expletives makes them more meaningful.

The police resources consumed varies from state to state and probably will change with time.
If states have to pay for police then the Police budget will have to be redistributed and the formula for redistribution will be very controversial. This will expose the fact that some states get more unaccounted resources from the Centre whether it be policing, maintaining prison population etc. I believe there is more policing spend in Lagos that Ekiti and ditto for inmates in Federal prisons. State would have to start paying for this

There is also the added risk that police resources once reallocated from the centre may be "reprioritized" to other things.

The issue requires a lot more debate and inquiry into practice from around the world.

My view is the police should be truly independent operationally both from the president and from the governors with greater input from the Judiciary.
There are two types of policing I would argue; Those involved in community policing generally and those involving breakdown of law and order . The former should be totally out of political influence and the latter which is more complex would require more thought

While I generally agree with the drift of your proposals, I don't think it's right to say that community policing "should be totally out of political influence"; how then would the police be held accountable?

I think a better proposal would be for policing to operate at a truly community level, i.e. at the LGA, or the city ward. Police commissioners should be electable officials directly accountable to the ward or LGA in which they are elected, and not subject to any direct influence by governors. A police commissioner who loses the trust of his or her fellow community members would then be sure that he or she would be out of a job come the next election; this would radically reorient our policemen from shaking down innocent people for bribes to actually doing something meaningful about fighting crime.

Of course, for the sort of community policing I'm suggesting to work, the LGAs must first be freed from the control of the state governors.