Chief Adesunbo Onitiri
Renowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri has urged the National Assembly to urgently create State Police as the only panacea to insecurity and hunger in the country.
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Onitiri made this call in Lagos yesterday in a reaction to a motion during the week by the Senate asking the Federal Government to open the borders for people to import foods into the country.
The Senate had also advised the Federal Government to support the farmers with fertilizers, seedlings and tractors to accelerate farm produce to solve the problem of hunger.
According to Onitiri in a Press statement, this arrangement can only be temporary because it could not solve the problem of hunger unless there was sufficient security for the farmers who had been sent away by bandits to go back to their farms.
He also advised the National Assembly to stop playing politics with the salient issue of State Police which Nigerians have been clamoring for.
Onitiri pointed out that both the military and the police don’t have the number of men sufficient enough that could protect the farmers nationwide.
He also explained that it is not the duties of the military men to be going into the bushes to protect the farmers, but the duties of the policemen who are very few in numbers.
The social critic emphasised that only the creation of State Police that could solve the problem of banditry and farmers/herders in country and boost farm produce to tackle hunger.
Onitiri urged the National Assembly to set in motion all arrangements and modalities to amend the constitution and allow the states to create their own police force.
“Enough of foot dragging and playing of politics with the the farmers’ lives”, he stressed.
Onitiri also applauded the Supreme Court for its landmark judgment that rescued the local government administrations from the stronghold of the state governments.
The activist advised the state governments to abide by the Supreme Court decision and allow the local governments to serve the rural communities effectively for them to reap the dividends of democracy.
“The local government autonomy is a laudable achievement of President Bola Tinubu which is worthy of commendation.
Besides, our Vice President, Senator Kashim Shetima should be saddled with the full responsibility of restoring peace in the Northern States and pacify the bandits and the armed Fulani herdsmen to give peace a chance.
