Ex-IYC president hails Tinubu’s political will on state police

Udengs Eradiri, a former President of the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide, has praised President Bola Tinubu for demonstrating the political will to establish state police, a reform he described as long-awaited.

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It has been an issue Nigerians have been yearning for over the years. Nobody had mustered the political will to actualize it, but we want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having the political will to actualize it.

Eradiri noted that Tinubu has shown uncommon vision and courage where predecessors faltered, pushing for the establishment of state police. "It has been an issue Nigerians have been yearning for over the years. Nobody had mustered the political will to actualize it, but we want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having the political will to actualize it," he said.

However, Eradiri cautioned that the proposed state police would not single-handedly resolve Nigeria's security issues. He argued that insecurity is primarily rooted in poor leadership at the state and local government levels, citing failures to address unemployment, weak local governance, and inadequate investment in security infrastructure. "We don’t expect state police to perform any magic because it will not," Eradiri stated.

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It is not just about the state police. From the local government to the state, the drivers of insecurity are those areas that the governors have failed to deal with. We don’t expect state police to perform any magic because it will not.

He stressed the need for disciplined and competent leadership, urging governors to invest in policing, infrastructure, and economic development to create jobs. Eradiri also criticized the abuse of power, corruption, and incompetence among political leaders, particularly highlighting the ineffectiveness of local governments, which he described as mere "settlement processes" for sharing funds rather than driving development.

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The strongest arm of government is the local government, but we have turned it into a settlement process. People just go there and, at the end of the month, share the money. This has to stop.