The National Economic Council will meet again later this month as more state governments have turned in their reports on the creation of state police. The PUNCH has learnt.
This was highlighted on Monday as our reporters informed that at least 10 states have started deploying forest guards to safeguard farmers and eliminate bandits.
During President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with the governors last February, the Federal Government and states agreed to hire forest rangers and invest in additional training to “keep our forests and our borders safe,” stated the Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, after the meeting.
At NEC’s 140th meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa on March 21, the council received reports from 16 state governors expressing their support for establishing state police.
They also suggested amendments to the constitution to facilitate the smooth establishment.
The Vice President's spokesperson, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, revealed that NEC was still waiting for reports from 20 states, expressing confidence that others would also lend their support.
However, no specific states were mentioned. But Nkwocha had confirmed at the time that the total number would be presented at the next NEC meeting even as “the compilation is still going on”.
Responding to questions from our correspondent on Monday, the Council’s Secretary, Mr Nebeolisa Anako, confirmed that more states had submitted reports.
Although the next meeting is scheduled for April 18, Anako noted that the date for April’s gathering would be confirmed after the holidays.
“Yes, more states have submitted. NEC meeting will be confirmed when work resumes,” he said.
NEC was created by the provisions of section 153(1) and Paragraphs 18 & 19 of part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Its membership includes the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank, and other co-opted government officials.
Chaired by the Vice President, the council meets monthly to carry out its mandate of “advising the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”
On February 16, the Federal and state governments agreed to work out ways to establish state police to address the country’s security challenges.
At President Tinubu’s meeting with the governors last February, Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said, “The Federal Government and the state governments are considering the possibility of establishing state police,” said Idris, adding that “this is still going to be further discussed.”
He explained, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.”
“Like I said, more work needs to be done in that direction. A lot of meetings will have to happen between the Federal Government and sub-nationals to see the modalities of achieving this,” Idris noted.
On February 20, 2024, a proposal for the establishment of state police successfully passed the second stage in the House of Representatives.
The proposed law, called ‘A bill for an Act to change the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to create State Police and related issues,’ was scheduled for a second reading before the end of this week.
With the support of 13 House members, the bill received majority approval in the Green Chamber, as many lawmakers argued that addressing security challenges was more important than concerns about potential mistreatment by state governors.
Earlier, the Presidency mentioned that while the President approved the establishment of state police and forest guards, governors would ultimately determine the success of both initiatives.
In an exclusive conversation with our reporter, an unnamed official from the Presidency stated, “The President advised the state governors to further discuss it at the state level.
“A committee was formed for this purpose. We haven’t received any updates from the committee yet. Also, it's important to note that at the same time, the national assembly is considering incorporating state policing into the constitution. Therefore, there is widespread agreement on state policing.
“As for the forest guards, efforts are underway. Some states already have existing forest guards, but they fall under the states’ agriculture ministries. The aim now is to enhance their capabilities by equipping them properly and enlisting more personnel.
“However, it is ultimately up to the states to strengthen the forest guards. That is the current situation.”
Forest guards
Explaining the Ogun State Government’s initiative on state police, the Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, stated on Monday that the state government intended to hire at least 500 forest guards to address the issue of bandits troubling farmers in the state.
Oludotun mentioned that the ministry was still awaiting the directive of the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, regarding the recruitment of armed forest guards as advised by the President.
He said “Currently, we have more than 250 forest guards who are overseeing our forest reserves in Ogun State. The only issue is that they are not armed.
“Regarding the directive from the Federal Government to engage armed forest guards to protect our forest reserves and agricultural settlements, the Ogun State Government is actively working towards this. As you know, the state government cannot simply acquire firearms and ammunition without following due process and properly training the forest guards who will handle these responsibilities. We plan to start with 500 when we begin and then expand from there.’’
In an interview with The PUNCH in Jos on Monday, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, described Tinubu’s suggestion as commendable. He mentioned that the state government had already enlisted the support of agro rangers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to protect farms.
The commissioner stated “For us as a government, the President's suggestion is a good one and we will certainly do that, especially now that farming activities are approaching.
Ashoms, who did not reveal how many forest guards would be hired in the 17 local government areas, said, “We have already worked with the agro rangers of the NSCDC to protect our farmers, and recruiting forest guards will add to what we have already started doing.
“But I can assure you that we will recruit forest guards according to the advice of Mr President because we need to protect our agricultural integrity and territory so that people will cultivate more as agriculture is one of our top priorities.’’
The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the Ademola Adeleke administration was ready to support the initiative.
He said, “The government released information to raise awareness about the security breach in Osun that some people were planning. Subsequently, we held a security meeting where measures were taken, including empowering the Amotekun, forest guards, and other security forces to prevent any security breach.
“We also alerted schools in the state to be more vigilant in their areas, and the security agencies were mobilized. Establishing forest guards is a good idea, and the Osun State Government has embraced it, and we are already working on it.”
Ekiti foresters
In Ekiti State, the governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, recently inaugurated 22 newly recruited foresters, 18 boundary men, and 10 technicians as part of efforts to address deforestation and illegal activities in the forests in the state.
The governor stated that the recruitment was to strengthen the workforce “to be able to tackle the rising cases of insecurity, deforestation, and other criminal activities being displayed by some elements in the forests”.
The governor, during the passing out parade of the new forestry personnel on March 21, instructed the forest guards in the state to work closely with the security agencies to eliminate kidnappers and other criminals using Ekiti forests as hideouts and inflicting terror on the citizens.
The Kebbi State Government also expressed its determination to combat banditry.
The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Ahmed Idris, said on Monday while speaking with one of our correspondents on the telephone.
He said, “We are already working on establishing our community guard corps here in the state.
“I believe establishing the corps will greatly help to address herders and farmers crisis in the state. The issue of insecurity will be greatly addressed once the local security outfits are put in place,” he added.
In Bayelsa State, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said the state government already had the community safety corps, which would be deployed in farms.
Also, the Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism in Benue State, Mathew Abo mentioned that the state had forest guards.
Abo who spoke to our reporter on the phone on Monday explained that the forest guards existed before the current administration.
He said, “We have some forest guards on the ground but we haven't hired more. The existing ones are working hard. And we call them hunters,” Abo said.
To enhance security in the state, the Sokoto State Government plans to hire more forest guards.
A high-ranking government official, who spoke anonymously because he was not allowed to speak on the matter, said the newly formed community guards corps had already been sent to some forests in the state.
“Yes, the President's directive is welcome and we in the state believe it's one of the lasting solutions to the crisis between farmers and herders.
“But I can confirm that the community guards were deployed to some of the forests even before the statement credited to Mr President.”
All attempts to speak with either the state Commissioner for Information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, or the governor's spokesman, Abubakar Bawa, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.
Agro rangers
In Kwara State, the government is using the NSCDC's agro rangers to guard the farms.
Questions sent to the state government officials including the state Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, and the Chief Press secretary to the governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, had yet to be responded to at the time of filing this report on Monday.
However, the Public Relations Officer of NSCDC in the state Command, Ayoola Michael ASC said that the state government had been using the agro rangers unit of the command to secure the farms in the state.
He said, “The Agro Rangers unit of NSCDC in the state has been guarding and protecting farmers in the state and we have been performing some other functions including mediating and settling quarrels between farmers and herders in the state.
“The Agro Rangers unit of NSCDC is functioning and has been performing our functions which include guarding farms and mediating in the crises between the Farmers and Herdsmen. We have settled more than 1,000 cases in the state since the inception of the unit in 2016”, Ayoola said
In Gombe State, it was learned that the state government had deployed forest guards.
But Founder of Jewel Environmental Initiative, a non-governmental organization, Ismail Birma, said the state should hire more forest guards.
He added that the number currently operational in the state was inadequate, “they are yet to recruit more forest guards,” he said.
- Additional reports Abiodun Nejo, Chima Azubuike Bola Bamigbola, John Charles, James Abraham, Daniels Igoni and Tunde Oyekola
