What Ekweremadu said in his New Year message ​

The Deputy President of the Senate, Prof. Ike Ekweremadu welcomes Nigerians to year 2019:

Let’s embrace 2019 with hope and the belief that Nigeria will eventually get to the Promised Land. We already have what it takes to be great as a nation, but we have to give every individual as well as every part of the country a sense of belonging and the opportunity to make the utmost contributions it is capable of.

Justice and equity build a nation, but injustice, inequity, and divisive tendencies are huge setbacks to any nation.

He said Nigeria could not be effectively secure under the current policing arrangement and urged all political leaders to work for the immediate realisation of state police in the coming year.

Also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me reiterate that we cannot continue with same centralised policing that has failed us over the years and hope to get a different result. The huge losses in lives and property incurred by the nation in 2018 can be avoided in the years ahead if we decentralise our policing. 

Nigeria is the only federal system in the entire world that operates unitary police system. We had sub-national police services from the colonial period up to 1966 and Nigeria was better off. Centralised policing has failed us woefully and we have to revert to what works in other federal jurisdictions to effectively combat the security challenges facing the country.

There is currently a Bill for the creation of state police before the National Assembly, which I sponsored along with several of my colleagues. That Bill also takes care of the fears expressed by many, including the fear of possible abuse by state governors. 

It is, therefore, my hope that all the political actors and well meaning Nigerians will collectively push for the passing and signing of the Bill in 2019 so Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2019.