Constitutional review: Borno, Yobe reject state police, additional states

By AHMED KAIGAMA

Borno and Yobe states have rejected calls for the creation of additional states, local councils and state police in the country.

The states made their positions known in separate presentations at the ongoing public hearing on the 1999 constitutional review held on Wednesday, in Bauchi.

Alhaji Abdulkareem Lawan, Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, said the state was opposed to the creation states and state police.

“Borno State is already devastated for now. We don’t need additional states and local government councils, because some of the councils just bear names without people.

“So, there is no need for the creation of state and local governments out of the present Borno State,” he said.

Lawan stressed that Borno was also not in need of a state police, because it already had the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) which had been effective in enhancing security in the state.

He, however, advocated for gender equality and increased women participation and other vulnerable persons in governance.

In his submission, Mr Saleh Samanja, the Yobe state Attorney General, who corroborated earlier opinions, advocated the retention of the existing states and local councils’ structure.

“We recommend that the existing number of states and local governments in the country be maintained and strengthened.

“Taking into consideration that even the existing ones are not adequately funded, to execute viable developmental projects, not to even talk of creating additional ones,” he said.

Samanja said Yobe State strongly opposed the establishment of state police as canvassed in some quarters.

“The state police can be abused for political reasons and create more insecurity, rather, measures should be put in place to encourage Community Policing under strict supervision,” he said.

However, Alhaji Sabiu Baba, Secretary to the Bauchi State Government (SSG), said the State was clamouring for the creation of additional states and local councils.

He noted that some states with a much lower population and land mass than Bauchi, already had more local government councils.

Baba said the state was, therefore, strongly in support of the creation of a state and additional local government out of the present Bauchi State

The SSG said the state was also in support of the establishment of state police, so as to reduce over-dependence of the state governors on federal law enforcement agencies.

He equally disclosed that the state was in support of gender equality and women participation in decision making and governance. (NAN)