Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party Thursday lamented the security challenges facing the country, indicating that for the nation to overcome the problem, the present police structure must be decentralised to give way to the establishment of state police across the country
The PDP governors spoke in Jos, the Plateau State capital, when they visited Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the Rayfield Government House.
The visit follows the series of attacks and killings by gunmen in the state, which reportedly claimed over 200 lives in the past month, with properties worth millions of naira destroyed in various communities of the state.
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, who is also the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Muhammed, who spoke on their behalf, said, “We are just being very honest with ourselves. We are not just indicting unreasonably the Nigerian police or the security agents, as they are doing their best, but certainly, the ratio between citizens and policing is very low, and the states know the peculiarities of their states and local governments and their towns and villages, and even the crisis of community, among others.
“So we have always been advocating. There is no dissent between the governors and the national level, but we need to get some decentralisation of the security apparatus so that we can enhance good governance by having good state police.”
“And again, that would allow us to engage the structure, the security agencies to train our youths, and also make sure the rules of engagement are not abused; there are no extrajudicial killings, and so on.
“We will work in tandem with established practices globally rather than just be forced to be vigilant. Even as vigilantes, we’re doing our best to make sure we involve the security agencies, but we are still being accused. We are copying from Amotekun.
“We have seen what happened in Zamfara, in Katsina and other places. This is good to go because Nigerians want to sleep with their two eyes closed, and the PDP, as a party, has always ensured good governance, as our governor of Plateau said.
“We have no option other than to show the difference between beans and rice. That’s what we are trying to do—make sure we bring projects and programmes, good governance with the little resources we have, even though we may not get special intervention, but we are doing best with the least that we have.”
Earlier, Muhammed told the state governor that members of the forum were in the state to commiserate with him and the people of Plateau over the security challenges being experienced.
“We have come to register our sympathy with you over the crisis you have been confronted with and to also commend your excellent handling of the situation, despite the court battles you had to handle.
“Nigerians want to sleep with their eyes closed and go about their normal duties peacefully; that is why we’re calling on the Federal Government to up its game by considering the establishment of state police in the country.
Muhammed said that the PDP governors would continue to stand by him to enable him to overcome the situation.
“And so we’re donating the sum of N100 million in support of the victims of these unfortunate incidents, knowing that you are an accommodating governor who values inclusiveness with the understanding that Plateau State is home to all,” the chairman added.
In his remarks, Mutfwang thanked the PDP governors for the visit and their kind gesture, for which he said the people of Plateau State would remain grateful.
He lamented that the people of the state had suffered so much because of insecurity, saying that his administration would continue to do its best to address the challenge and also provide good governance in the interest of the people who voted him into power.