Former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, has rejected calls for the creation of state police, warning that such a move would be easily abused by governors who lack the competence to manage it responsibly.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) about his new book, “Restructuring Nigeria: The Way Forward,” the legal luminary argued that state-controlled police forces could become political weapons in the hands of governors, particularly during elections.
“I do not subscribe to state police because it would be easily abused by state governors, who would use them to target political opponents,” Omehia said. “Many governors do not have an open mind for the general good of the people; they act based on personal interest. Violence is already a tool in Nigerian politics, and state police would only make it worse.”
While acknowledging that countries like the United States, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India successfully operate state police systems, Omehia stressed that the challenge in Nigeria lies in weak constitutional obedience. He insisted that security should remain the responsibility of the federal government, despite the strain on its resources.
Turning to electoral reforms, Omehia proposed measures to guarantee the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He recommended that the INEC chairman be elected through a competitive process, rather than appointed by the executive, and suggested that national commissioners should be chosen at the provincial level to reduce political interference.
“To make INEC truly independent, their funding must be provided for in the constitution, just like the three arms of government,” he said. “If they rely on the executive for funding, then he who pays the piper will dictate the tune.”
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On restructuring, Omehia outlined a revenue-sharing model under which states would retain 50 percent of their income, remit 50 percent to proposed zonal provincial governments, which in turn would send half to the federal government. The federal share, he suggested, would be split into 30 percent for administration and 20 percent for redistribution among the states.
According to him, such fiscal federalism would empower sub-national governments and bring governance closer to the people. He clarified that his concept of restructuring does not mean reverting to the old regional system but rather strengthening the existing states, which he said have positively impacted minority groups.
Omehia explained that the book was inspired by repeated calls from traditional rulers, academics, journalists, and other stakeholders for Nigeria to address structural defects in governance.
“Restructuring is not about state creation or returning to regions. States are already established, and they serve the people better than the old regional system,” he said.