The Chairman of the Civil liberty organizations, CLO, in Rivers State, Sotonye George, has hailed the move by the National Assembly to establish state Police, saying it is long overdue in Nigeria.
“State Policing is long overdue in Nigeria. We have said it, we have taken this decision and we have stood on it several times.
“So what the National Assembly has just done is something they would have done long ago and all these deaths would have been averted.
“But Nigeria is a society where it will only take action when it is always too late. But of course, nothing is too late.
“Since they’ve accepted to welcome it, it is a welcome development. And we are believing that they will not just say it, but execute it.
Sotonye George also advised lawmakers in the National Assembly to ensure that the law is framed in such a way that it will not allow the state Governors to abuse the structure of state Policing.
“The law should not just be made giving the Governor all the authorities over the Commissioner of Police that they appoint.
“The structure of the police at the state level should be done in such way that the Judiciary or any of the Commission should have the authority, not the Governor.
“They should make a provision of such checks and balances.”
