Seriake Dickson, senator representing Bayelsa West and national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has commended President Bola Tinubu for pushing the creation of state police.
Dickson, however, said the federal government should also decentralise resource control and implement broader constitutional reforms.
He spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
Commends Tinubu’s initiative
Dickson said Nigeria’s federal structure requires greater devolution of powers.
He described the move to decentralise policing as a step in the right direction.
“We are a federal republic of Nigeria, not a unitary republic,” he said.
“In principle, I commend the executive move to decentralise policing.”
“If the president has done this, it has my support.”
Wants resource control decentralised
Furthermore, Dickson said policing should not be the only area affected by constitutional reforms.
He urged the federal government to decentralise control over mineral resources.
“That is not the only thing to decentralise,” he said.
“We also have to decentralise the issue of mineral rights, what we call resource control.”
Recommends zonal police first
Meanwhile, the former Bayelsa governor said he would have preferred policing to be decentralised first to the geopolitical zones before extending it to states.
He also proposed giving governors a role in appointing commissioners of police, subject to oversight by the Police Service Commission and state houses of assembly.
“My prescription would have been to decentralise it to the zonal level first,” he said.
“A governor should not be without some measure of control.”
Calls for local government reforms
Dickson also urged Tinubu to complete local government reforms.
He said strengthening local governments is essential for security and democratic development.
“The president has started something but abandoned it halfway,” he said.
“I hope he has the courage to push it through.”
“My being in opposition doesn’t mean if you do something good, I won’t commend you.”
