Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has advocated the unbundling
of the Nigerian Police as a way of meeting the security challenges in the
country.
The Governor stated this in Warri at a meeting with traditional rulers
and Local Government Council Chairmen where he presented his
administration’s efforts in tackling Polio and meeting security challenges
in the state.
Dr. Uduaghan said “the Nigerian Police is presently overburdened with
handling many sundry issues.
As things are presently, there was no way the Nigerian Police can measure
up with the security challenges in the country as it did not have the
required personnel to perform optimally. Based on this there is the need
for the creation of State Police that will handle some of the less
serious issues which the police are presently saddled with.”
Governor Uduaghan opined that the creation of the State Police would free
up time, resources and energy for the Nigerian Police to pursue more
serious cases and checkmate criminality in a more professional way.
His words, ‘we look forward to the creation of the state police to
unburden the Nigerian Police with many small cases that they are handling
now. If a husband has issues with his wife they go to the Nigerian Police
to resolve it. The Nigerian Police should not be handling such issues. I
believe that if the State Police is created they would handle small cases
and will be in places where the presence of the Nigerian Police is not
currently felt.’
On the effort of the State government in tackling criminality, Governor
Uduaghan said the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery and oil theft was
going down and called on all stakeholders not to relent in their efforts
at combating criminality in the state.
He specifically commended the Traditional Ruler of Oghara for the effort
of the community in apprehending four heavily armed criminals.
The governor also asked the traditional rulers to ensure peace in their
community explaining that crisis has now been identified as a factor that
contributes to the spread of the deadly Polio disease as health workers
find it difficult to immunize children in crisis torn areas.
The meeting which is the fourth of such in the year was attended by the
Deputy Governor Professor Amos Utuama as well as local government chairmen
in the state