By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu, former military head of state General Abdulsalam Abubakar, former President Good luck Jonathan and House of Representatives Speaker, Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas were among dignitaries, who insisted that state police implementation in the country was no longer negotiable.

Tinubu stated this while declaring open a national dialogue on State Policing organized by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Monday.

Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima was full of praise for Nigeria’s House of Representatives for organizing the national dialogue, which had Pathways to Peace; Reimagining Policing in Nigeria as its theme.

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar was quite emphatic that traditional rulers must be incorporated in the state police system to play vital roles.

Former President Jonathan said he began the processes of state police at the 2014 conference and from reports he got from the committee, state police was going to work if the report was implemented.

He disclosed that state police was the panacea to the commercial kidnapping, which started in the Niger Delta in 2006.

 The former president said that in implementing state police, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be rejigged to avoid using the system for political gains.

In his words, “The issue today is very critical. One thing is that we don’t need to debate on whether we should have state police or not. I think the matter has been concluded. The issue is the operations of the police.

“So if we are talking about state police, we must also rejig INEC and the police must not be used against or to the advantage of any political party.

“The issue of voting, the polling booths of INEC and the use of police during elections has to be reviewed by the National Assembly.

“Even in polling units in our country, this is the only country I visited that has isolated polling units.

“Most counties I go to observe elections, they have polling centres in a primary school or secondary school and within that polling centre they have five to 10 polling units within the centre. I just flew back from Senegal.

“You see the police are always at the gate. They don’t go into the compound. They don’t go even where voting takes place.

“The citizens are also disciplined enough not to behave in a way that would attract the police. We must find a way to make the use of police for elections very limited. Not what we hear today that security operatives have seized materials.

 “Could the state police for the riverine areas like the Niger Delta also play that role of coast guards? Could the ones in the boundary areas play the role of the national border force?

“This would surely help the country. We are not going to waste our time debating whether we should have state police or not.”

However, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun kicked against the plan insisting that the Nigeria police should be allowed to swallow the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as departments under it.

Egbetokun who was represented by the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Ben Okoro insisted that the NSCDC and the FRSC were a duplication of the police.

The IGP said that Nigeria is not ripe for state police urging those calling for state police to work toward merging the NCDSC and the FRSC with the police for effectiveness.

He said the police are battling inadequate training as well as lack of adequate manpower.

He said most police barracks are dilapidated due to lack of maintenance and renovation.

“This has a negative impact on the performance of the policemen,” he said.

He added that state police would create avenues for state governor to use it to suppress the opposition in their states.

He said creating state police would also lead to the problem of jurisdiction, which would bring about conflicts of interest.

He added that state police would not be able to combat terrorism, kidnapping and banditry because they require enormous resources to those.

The Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa represented by Maj. Gen. Kunle Ariyibi said, “It is through collaboration and a shared commitment to the common good that we can develop policies and strategies that will enhance the security infrastructure of our dear nation.”

Musa said it is imperative to create a security framework that would be inclusive, responsive, and capable of safeguarding the rights and freedom of all Nigerians.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas urged stakeholders to provide a framework that would dispel the fear of abuse of state police by governors.

According to him, these concerns are not unfounded and must be addressed frontally, without bias or sentiment.

“This emphasises the need for robust frameworks that ensure accountability, transparency, and equitable service delivery across all states,” he said.

He said it is imperative to set stringent national standards, establish oversight bodies, and involve communities in the policing process.

According to him, Nigeria’s diversity, with over 300 ethnic groups and a range of geographic, economic, and social conditions require a policing model that is adaptable and sensitive to local contexts.

“As we explore the models of state policing that have been successful in other nations, we must be judicious in adapting these frameworks to fit our unique Nigerian context,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu said that the escalating security challenges in the country demand innovative solutions and candid discussions.

He said NASS recognised the gravity of the situation, adding that it is committed to exploring all viable options that would lead to a safer and more secure Nigeria for its citizens.

He said, since 2016, estimates suggest that over ₦5 billion has been paid in ransoms to kidnappers, saying the figure starkly exposed the alarming growth of this criminal enterprise in the country.

According to him, the 2024 Global Terrorism Index paints a concerning picture, ranking Nigeria fourth in Sub-Saharan Africa and eighth globally for countries most impacted by terrorism.

He said that the United Nations recommended police-to-citizen ratio of one police officer per 600 citizens, adding that Nigeria’s current reality falls far short of the benchmark.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia on Monday said  lack of vision and underhand dealings by past leaders hindered Benue State from benefiting the Federal Government 13 percent derivation from solid minerals found in the state.

The governor made this known while addressing Benue diaspora community on a zoom meeting organised by the Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA) and the Idoma Association in the United States of America.

He said  meeting was to enable the two groups get firsthand information on the present administration’s general policy direction, security initiatives as well as the government’s drive in sectors such as agriculture, Mining, education, health, Banking and Finance as well as physical and digital infrastructure.

Speaking on the mining/extractive industry, the governor said although the state is blessed with mineral deposits, the mining sector remains one area that has not been properly tapped, adding that there was no coordination in the past, thereby allowing huge illegality in the sector.

Alia said, “It is only when we came in on May 29th, 2023 that we made the Benue people realize they have solid minerals.

“Is it that they never existed before we came in? No, they were there. But those who knew; those who were robbing us came in there and carted away what they wanted.

“It is so surprising to hear that it is our very own who were robbing us of the solid minerals. They knew the solid minerals existed there and invited the bad guys who came in behind closed those to rob us.”

The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula which was made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said the state government had placed a moratorium on Mining activities in the state in order to fish out the illegal miners, adding that traditional rulers have been warned not to sign MOUs with the miners as was obtainable in the past.

He said anyone found engaging aging foreigners who come from nowhere to start mining in the villages will not be spared.

He regretted that Benue as a state with 34 out of the 46 mineral deposits found in the country is not enjoying the 13 percent derivation like oil producing states because of lack of coordination.

According to the governor, the need for coordination in the sector is what gave birth to the Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO) under his administration.

This he said will serve as a link between the state and the Federal Government in the area of policy and tackling of illegal mining, thereby protecting such solid minerals for the government and people of the state.

Speaking on the educational sector and the strategies the government has put in place to bridge the gap between the private and government institutions in the state, and on how he feel religious based organizations and private organizations can invest in the education system in the state, the governor said, “What was on ground upon my assumption of office was terrible.

“We met the Benue system in comatose but that of education was even worse and we are just trying to reinvent our educational system with the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) already geared with programmes to reinvent the educational sector in the state.”

He said his administration has created an agency, Benue Education Quality Assurance (BEQA) through which many discoveries.

“The schools are so saturated with ghost teachers, and the system is saturated with ghost schools.

“Immediately we came into office, we were able to save N1.2billion from ghost teachers.

“We went further and it was discovered that it was not only ghost teachers, but ghost schools as well.

“And the least we found was that the ghost schools had 95 ghost teachers and the minimum Grade level of the teachers in those schools was Grade level 10.

“Just imagine how much they packed! And if we unveil to you those who have been involved in this corrupt system, you will be so shocked to hear names. Yet, this had been going on and on for ages.”

While calling for investment in the educational system in the state, the governor said his administration intends to go back to the basics by granting independence to missionary schools, reintroducing more vocational centres across the state to enable the students acquire skills, as well as intensifying training for the teachers.

On Security, Peace and Wealth Creation as well as his plans for the return of the IDPs to their ancestral homes, Alia said the state has about 13 IDP camps and his campaign promises of returning them to their ancestral homes still stands, adding that his administration is making inroads to address the situation.

On whether the people have started returning back to their ancestral homes, the governor said that has not happened permanently but there is an improvement.

He said the security situation in the state is a combination  of both herders and militia groups, especially in the Sankera axis of the state, accusing some elite of inviting the Fulanis back to the state with the notion that the Anti-Open Grazing law is no longer in force.

He called for more collaboration, partnership and investments to enable the government to revamp the Primary Health Care Centres and Clinics in the villages so that healthcare services can be easily accessed by the people of the state.

On Banking and Finance, the governor highlighted the need to drive the Banking Sector in the state, lamenting the absence of Benue indigenes in top banking positions in the country.

He said the state is suffering from the collapse of Lobi Bank, especially as it was aimed at helping local farmers and businesses to thrive, disclosing that the government is trying to see if there will be an alternative.

“Benue is near empty in this regard. There are no investments in the Banking Sector in the state at the moment.

“It is a challenge. Even to get loans, our people are not properly educated in this regard. And we need individuals who can come in and teach our people,” he stated.

While regretting that most big towns in the state don’t have banks, the governor said it is the plan of the present government to take the Novus Microfinance Bank to be in villages, where certain government grants can be obtained through the bank by the time it is properly set up.

On digital and physical infrastructural development in the state, Alia equally told the Benue Diaspora that immediately he came into office, he declared, “There was no maintenance on the few existing ones that were put in place.

“It is now that our government is doing everything to turn Makurdi from a glorified village to a Capital City.

“The government is doing very deep investments in lighting and road infrastructure to ensure that what is done lasts for a long time.” 

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) yesterday disclosed that a total sum of N7.31 trillion accrued to the Federation Account between July and Dec. 2023.This was captured in the monthly report to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the caption “CBN Federation Account Component Statement”.

This amount is higher than the sum of N5. 244 trillion realised in the first half of year 2023, according to a statement signed by the RMAFC Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Bello Shehu and made available to the media in Abuja.The chairman disclosed that out of the total gross revenue inflows into the Federation Account, the sum of N1,692 trillion was transferred to the Exchange Gain Differential Account, thus leaving a balance of N5.475 billion for distribution.He added that from the amount stated above, the sum of N3.26 trillion was deducted as approved statutory deductions by the OAGF, leaving a net balance of N2.2 trillion for distribution to the three tiers of government within the period under review.The chairman explained that out of the N3.267 trillion statutory deduction indicated above, N2.251 trillion was transferred to the Non-Oil Excess Account as savings, thus leaving a net statutory deduction of N1.016 trillion with further augmentations for sharing among the three tiers of government received from some “reserve accounts.”The statement added that within the period under review, the net sum of N4 trillion was shared with the three tiers of government, an amount higher than the total sum of N3.06 trillion.In terms of percentages, the chairman stressed that “the statutory deduction in the second half of the year constituted 44.12 percent of the total gross inflow into the Federation Account in the six-month period, which was higher than the first half deductions of 42.31 percent (inclusive of transfer to the Non-Oil Excess Account).”On remittances by Revenue Generating Agencies (RGAs), the RMAFC chairman disclosed that out of the total gross revenue inflows into the Federation Account, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) remitted N874 64 billion in the second half of the year as against the zero-remittance made in the first half of the year.Similarly, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) remitted the sum of N1.56 trillion while the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) remitted N3.65 trillion