Reporter: Okechukwu Ezeona
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah has identified financial autonomy, adequate funding and investment in modern security technology as the panacea for the success of planned state police service.
He made the call at a town hall meeting on “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security,” in Abuja.
The Governor said that a State Police Service Commission should enjoy a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, similar to the judiciary and legislature, to guarantee sustainable funding. According to him, security remains a critical foundation for economic growth, investment, and improved quality of life.
Drawing from Enugu State’s experience, Governor Mbah recalled that his administration inherited serious security challenges in 2023, including the disruption of nightlife, illegal sit-at-home orders, and widespread insecurity.
He said that the state responded by investing heavily in AI-enabled CCTV surveillance, a Safe City project, and the Distress Response Squad, DRS, to strengthen rapid response and crime prevention.
Governor Mbah added that Enugu also established a unified Command and Control Centre at Government House Enugu, linking the police, military, and the Department of State Services to improve coordination.
He noted that the combined investment in technology and inter-agency collaboration has helped reduce violent crime in the state by over ninety percent.
On the legal framework for state police, Governor Mbah advocated a constitutional provision establishing state police while allowing operational details to be addressed through an Act of the National Assembly for future reforms.
He dismissed fears that governors would abuse state police powers, stressing that elected governors have limited tenures and should be given sufficient operational authority to effectively safeguard lives and property.
