Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia South, has cautioned against allowing state governors to control funding for the proposed state police.
Abaribe spoke during plenary on Wednesday.
His remarks came as the Senate considered and passed the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police.
Seeks a constitutional funding guarantee
Abaribe said the constitution should guarantee funding for state police commissions.
According to him, the funds should go directly to the commissions instead of passing through state governments.
“Funds that will go to the state police commission must be guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.
“They must go directly to the commission.”
Warns against abuse
Furthermore, Abaribe warned that poor funding could encourage extortion by state police officers.
He said officers might resort to illegal checkpoints if they lack adequate resources.
“We don’t have to see with the police what we are seeing today with local government funds,” he said.
“If we do that, then people like us from the South-East will see 100 checkpoints because state police will have to fund themselves.”
Opposes unilateral presidential takeover
Meanwhile, Abaribe urged lawmakers to limit the president’s powers over state police.
He argued that the president should not be able to take over a state police service without legislative approval.
“We cannot have a situation where the president just looks at a state, perhaps because he is not in good terms with the governor, and decides to take it over,” he said.
He proposed that any federal intervention should require the approval of the national assembly.
Calls for stronger safeguards
In addition, Abaribe said lawmakers should address funding and oversight in the implementation law.
According to him, adequate funding and clear safeguards are essential to prevent abuse and ensure the success of state policing.
