Former Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, said the establishment of state police is the only option that would address the challenge of growing insecurity in the country than community policing.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media, to the former President Kehinde Akinyemi, said the challenge of insecurity around the country should be everybody’s concern.
According to the statement, the former President was speaking while playing host to the leadership of the National Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen (ASELGON), led by its Chairman, Chief Albert Asipa.
“Our situation in Nigeria concerns everyone, particularly, the case of terrorism. The case has gotten over the issue of community police. It is now the State police. It is from that State Police that we can now be talking about community police,” he added.
“I believe that there is a need to enable that tier of government to work truly like a local government. They have their own executive, judiciary, and legislature.
“They were working and they were very visible, building and managing roads, looking into education, health, local administration, agriculture, but they were all gone,” Obasanjo said.
He commended the initiative behind the formation of ASELGON, and noted that the development clearly showed that some local chairmen in the country were better than even the top elected leaders.
“The experience the former chairmen had in local government administration was enough to aspire for higher posts while stressing that some of them have the competence, ability, and integrity to get to higher elective posts,” he added.
Obasanjo, who was presented with a letter of a life patron, assured that he would look into their request, assuring further that he would be available on request for their needs at all times
Ashipa who presented a letter of a life patron to the former President explained that they decided to come together in all the 774 local governments in the country.
“Realising your position as the father of local government in Nigeria, we need you to actualize our goals, hence this all-important visit. And to come and say happy 85th birthday celebrations,” he said.
Ashipa added that “we can also contribute to the economy and political developments of the country”.
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