RULAAC to Senate Leader: First-line charge alone won’t shield state police from governors’ control
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has rejected the claim by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele that funding state police through the first line charge will shield it from executive control.
In a statement Thursday, RULAAC Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma said while financial autonomy is an important institutional safeguard, Nigeria’s experience demonstrates that constitutional guarantees alone do not automatically translate into genuine operational independence or accountability.
He cited the case of the judiciary that enjoys constitutional protection through a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, yet, it says judicial officers and institutions have continued to complain about delays in the release of funds, executive control over administrative processes, procurement bottlenecks, and other forms of financial and institutional dependence.
He added: “Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite its constitutional status, has at different times raised concerns over delayed or inadequate release of funds for critical electoral activities.
“These experiences show that constitutional funding arrangements, while desirable, are not sufficient safeguards against political interference,” he said.
RULAAC said the debate on state police should go beyond funding to the fundamental questions of who would control recruitment, promotions and discipline.
Others posers asked by RULAAC include:
– Who will appoint and remove State Commissioners of Police?
– What mechanisms will protect officers who refuse unlawful political directives?
– What independent oversight institutions will investigate complaints against state police?
– How will citizens obtain effective remedies for abuses?
– How will conflicts between federal and state policing powers be resolved?
– What safeguards exist against the capture of state police by governors, political parties, wealthy interests, criminal networks, or other powerful actors?
According to RULAAC, those are the issues that cannot be resolved merely by creating a constitutionally guaranteed funding mechanism.
It said: “Equally troubling is the apparent absence of broad public engagement on a constitutional reform of this magnitude. The establishment of state police would fundamentally alter Nigeria’s security architecture and significantly affect the rights and freedoms of citizens. Such a far-reaching proposal should not be advanced without comprehensive public consultations and transparent legislative scrutiny.”
It called on the National Assembly to:
1. Publish the full State Police Bill and all proposed constitutional amendments for public review.
2. Conduct comprehensive public hearings in all geopolitical zones, allowing citizens, civil society organisations, professional bodies, security experts, traditional institutions, labour unions, and other stakeholders to make meaningful contributions.
3. Subject every proposed safeguard to rigorous public examination rather than relying on assurances from political office holders.
4. Consider alternative reforms to strengthen community-oriented policing, accountability, operational decentralisation, and resource allocation within the Nigeria Police Force before embarking on a constitutional restructuring whose long-term implications have not been adequately debated.
RULAAC insisted that Nigeria needs effective policing that is professional, accountable, rights-respecting, and responsive to local security challenges, arguing that achieving those objectives require more than constitutional guarantees of funding. It demands strong institutions, independent oversight, transparent governance, and broad public confidence.
