The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria, on Saturday, advocated for community policing as the means of tackling the lingering security challenges in the country.
The speakers made the declaration in a communique read to newsmen in Bauchi, at the end of their general conference meeting, held in the state.
Abubakar Sulaiman, Chairman, Speakers of State Legislatures, while reading the communique, stated that insecurity was the major issue discussed at the meeting and the way forward.
Sulaiman who is also the Speaker, Bauchi state House of Assembly, said the conference was unanimous in decrying the spate of insecurity in the country.
“While commending the Federal Government on its efforts at fighting insecurity in the country, the conference urges that it should tinker with the security architecture in the country, to reflect current realities.
“In other words, the conference advocates for either community policing or state policing, as a way out of the problem of insecurity in the country,” he said.
The chairman also said that the conference appealed to the striking Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) to exercise restraint on its struggle, adding that a committee had been set up to engage the association with a view to resolving the lingering issues that led to the industrial action.
He further revealed that the conference expressed appreciation to the state governor, Bala Mohammed, for the warm reception accorded to members of the conference during their general meeting in the state.
“During the meeting, a constitutional review committee was set up whose terms of reference included; articulating and submission of the inputs of the conference of speakers of state legislatures in Nigeria to the ongoing National Assembly review of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That all the state houses of assembly should ensure they passed the Funds Management Bill in their respective states, for the effective implementation of the Financial Autonomy Act for the State Legislatures and the Judiciary,” he stated.
