By Cross Udo, Abuja
The National Economic Council (NEC) has given three northern states and the Federal Capital Territory a one-week ultimatum to submit their position papers on the proposed creation of State Police.
Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, mentioned the three states to be Adamawa, Kebbi, and Kwara.
Although it was explained that a deputy governor represented one of the three states at the meeting and announced that the state had submitted its position paper on creating the State Police, the NEC Secretariat could not confirm that it had received it.
Diri said the one-week deadline was one of the outcomes of the council meeting.
He said, “Council was updated with the submission of the establishment of state police, and it was reported that 33 states have submitted their positions, while three states are yet to do so.
“These three states are Adamawa, Kebbi, and, incidentally, Kwara, the chairman of our forum, and the FCT, who have yet to submit their positions.
“The council mandated these remaining states and FCT to make their submissions within the next one week and resolved to present a consolidated states’ position on the state police to the National Economic Council at our next meeting,” Governor Diri said.
The acting governor of Oyo State, Abdulraheen Lawal, briefed journalists after the September 4 meeting.
He said that the 36 states of the federation were supposed to submit their reports for consideration at the meeting.
He said an update on the establishment of State police was considered due to the security challenges across the nation, especially in the Northeast, Northcentral, Southwest, Southeast, and South-South.
He explained that the essence of that was to ensure robust security in the country, adding that it was for that purpose that the NEC, sometime last year, considered the establishment of state police and asked states to make submissions of considerations.
He said, “An update on the establishment of State police was considered, and this was as a result of the security challenges that we have across the nation, in the Northeast, North Central, Southwest, South East, and South-South, so that we would have robust security in our nation.
“For that purpose, sometime last year, NEC considered the establishment of state police and asked states to submit their considerations.
“Today, all the states were supposed to submit for consideration of NEC. Incidentally, four states couldn’t submit, and for that purpose, NEC decided that those states must make their submissions on or before Monday next week; otherwise, whatever decision next date on the establishment of State Police will be binding on those states that refused to submit them to make submissions.
