Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, has called for constitutional financial autonomy for proposed state police services, arguing that guaranteed funding is essential to protect them from interference by political office holders, business interests, criminal groups and other influential actors.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, made the call in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs while responding to concerns surrounding the proposed establishment of state police.
He acknowledged that public reservations about state policing are legitimate, noting that many stem from experiences during the First Republic when the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions allowed regional governments to operate their own police forces.
According to him, the National Assembly is embedding safeguards in the ongoing constitutional amendment process to ensure any future state police service is professionally managed, institutionally independent and financially secure.
Bamidele explained that lawmakers are proposing a constitutional provision making funding for state police a first-line charge, similar to the financial framework that guarantees the independence of the judiciary.
“The Commissioner of Police and the State Police Service Commission must have a guaranteed source of funds provided for in the 1999 Constitution in a way that the police chief will not be subject to the whims and caprices of a state governor,” he said.
He warned that relying solely on governors for funding could expose state police commands to political manipulation, particularly where officers refuse to carry out partisan directives.
“We are under the obligation to make provision for a certain percentage of a state budget specifically for the operations of state police services. Access to funds must be clearly spelt out,” he added.
The Senate leader assured Nigerians that the proposed framework would create a state police system that remains accountable to the public while addressing concerns raised during the constitutional review process.
He stressed that inadequate funding would weaken the effectiveness of state police services and limit their ability to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.
Bamidele also explained that the constitutional review seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, enabling states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
He further cautioned that political actors would not be the only threat if financial independence is not guaranteed.
“Business class can also abuse it. Some other organisations, even criminals or cabals, can abuse state police service because it is a question of ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune.’
“If a state police service is not well funded by any means, we have a situation where it may as well be a highway to nowhere. That is one thing all of us must prevent,” Bamidele said.
