Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said that the issue of State Police in Nigeria is not negotiable as it is already “a settled matter.”
Jonathan who spoke at the ongoing national dialogue on state police organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja said that, “There is no way we can manage our internal security if we don’t have state police.”
Drawing from his time as the President, Dr. Jonathan revealed that the 2014 National Conference unanimously endorsed the establishment of “State Police, National Border Guard and National Coast Guard.”
The former President, however, said that Nigerians including the National Assembly must focus on how to create an operational framework for state police in a way that enhances Nigeria’s national security architecture for the overall security and progress of Nigeria.
Speaking further, President Jonathan highlighted the perceived role of politicians, especially governors whom many analyst believe would use state police to harass political opponents, advising panelists in the dialogue to focus on “How do we ensure that state political actors do not abuse the state police.”