Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has backed the introduction of state police in a bid to fight the growing level of insecurity in the country.
Obasanjo stated this, during a courtesy visit paid to him by the leadership of the National Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen in Nigeria in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The visit was led by the pioneer National Chairman of the association, Albert Asipa, the Ogun State chapter Chairman, Shoyemi Coker, Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju, (Delta State), and the traditional ruler of Odogbolu, Oba Toye Alatise, amongst others.
READ MORE: Aisha Buhari Invites Tinubu, Osinbajo, Saraki and Others to Dinner
Responding to a submission on the creation of community police to curb the wave of insecurity, Obasanjo said,
“Our situation in Nigeria concerns everyone, particularly, the case of terrorism. The case has gotten over the issue of community police. It is now state police. It is from that State Police that we can now be talking about community police.”
He also spoke of the need to strengthen the traditional system and the local government administration,“which I prepared during the popular Murtala/Obasanjo administration, because I believe that there is need to enable that tier of government to work truly as a local government. They have their own executive, judiciary and legislature.”
“They were working and they were very visible, building and managing roads, looking into education, health, local administration, agriculture, but they are all gone,” He added.