Ogun monarch backs Egbetokun on proposed State Police creation
…urges FG to adequately fund Police
By Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta
Ogun monarch and Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North local government, Oba Ebenezer Akintunde Akinyemi (Akaosu 1), has thrown his weight behind the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on the proposed creation of State Police in Nigeria.
WesternPost had reported that Egbetokun faulted the proposed creation of State Police.
Egbetokun had said Nigeria was not ripe for State Policing model.
This position was also canvassed by Oba Akinyemi who argued that what Nigeria needs was adequate funding and support of police from the federal government.
The monarch stated that Nigeria was not ripe for State Policing compared to United States where police is responsible for equity, accountability and zero corruption.
He stated this in Abeokuta during the activities marking his birthday and coronation anniversary.
Oba Akinyemi called on the President to give adequate support, adequate finance and insurance to the existing police before decentralising it.
He said “I agree with the IG that Nigeria is not ripe for the State Police, because when you see it in the US you will know that it is the police that has equity accountability and zero corruption, but in Nigeria, if you are an APC and the Governor is PDP police will ask for the instruction of the governor and they will be victimizing those in the opposition party, so I think we still need to practice Democracy more.
“Even before we talk about state policing, they should give us stable electricity because we are in a computer age nobody goes around to check vehicle to detect criminals anymore, so the President should look into giving an adequate financing and insurance to the existing police before decentralising it to the State”.
On issue of Yoruba Nation agitation, he said, “The most important thing in Nigeria today regarding the policy, I want the President to imbibe the role of engagement, where you call everyone together collectively on a roundtable, we don’t need to use machine gun, they are our people, there is a Yoruba saying that says ‘Eniyan kin fi omo toburu kale fun Ekun paje’.
“That means we can call all of them together and tell them our modalities and the good intentions that President Bola Tinubu has for Nigeria and Southwest”.
