The Commissioner for Information and Communication in Plateau, Mr Dan Manjang, has suggested that state governors should be given more control over security apparatuses in their domain for effective community policing.
Manjang spoke during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos.
He said that the act of community policing would make the communities to be involved in internal security matters and the process had been known to be very efficient.
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He noted that it was pertinent to have community policing as the security employees had a better knowledge of the terrain and the individuals in communities.
“Since the security operatives employed also reside in the communities, it will stimulate efficient intelligence gathering of information because they are members of the community,” he said.
He said that there could not be an effective community policing under the current structure of the state governors who, as the chief security officers of their states, “have very little control over the security of their states.
“Before they act concerning the security issues pertaining to their states they have to seek permission from the various security bodies.
“The governor is the chief security officer of the state, but he cannot command troops.
“If he needs the police to act, the best he can do is to talk to the commissioner of police who will have to get clearance from the Inspector General of Police before any action is carried out.”
He, therefore, advised that for the anomaly to be addressedu, the state governors who are the chief security officers of their state should be given some level of control over the security apparatuses in their states.
Manjang called on the members of the National Assembly to pass a bill seeking the amendments of the constitution where by state governors would be given some level of control over the security machineries in the respective states.
Similarly, the commissioner said that the Plateau government had recruited 3,000 youths to the state owned security outfit “Operation Rainbow”, who had been trained and sent out to the 17 local government areas of the state.
He also said that the state government purchased more than 200 motorcycles and 50 vehicles to the outfit to enhance proficiency. (NAN)
