2020 Okitipupa Branch Law week: Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, wants Nigeria Police Force unbundled
– Steve Ovirih.
A renowned learned silk and distinguish legal luminary, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has thrown his weight behind the call for the decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force(NPF). He made this Clarion call which appealed to the ideal of finetunning the present structure of the nation’s federalism at the NBA Okitipupa Law Week, which grand finale held at the Mega auditorium of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Osustech , Okitipupa on Friday, the 7th February.
[Prince Fagbemi who was Guest Speaker at the annual “Lawyers event’ told the audience that if we really are desirous of effectively addressing the insecurity challenges bedeviling Nigeria, we should ring it loud in the ears of government that the country is in a dire need of an upgraded security arrangement , the best template of which is the decentralisation of the policing apparatus in the country. ” The country is in dire need of an upgraded security arrangement because of the threat by bandits , kidnappers, ritual killers, insurgents and disgruntled elements in some parts of the country,” the legal luminary said.
While further lamenting the poor security architecture of Nigeria under a centralised policing system, Prince Fagbemi said, ” Nigeria has porous land borders while our immigration practices are not really tightened up,hence there is no means of ensuring accountability for everyone that goes in and out of the country in order for the immigration to be able to spot insecurity fault lines.”
He warned that the Federal Government should think out of the box to pull the breaks on the worsening security challenges in the country lest the citizenry conclude that the government has failed in its primary responsibility to the governed which is securing the country against internal insurrection and external aggression. ” The primary responsibility of any government worth that description is to provide adequate security for its citizenry, particularly as it is taken for granted that all development endeavors would revolve round the security architecture.”
Fagbemi added that at the Central level of government in Nigeria, several security agencies are centralised , yet insecurity pervade the national atmosphere , noting that the federalist constitution we run as a country affects the air of unitarianism where the federating units and their local government counterparts have to look up to the detached and far away Federal Government for policing and ensuring security of lives and property. He noted that while budgetary allocation to the Federal Ministry of Defence have increased over the years, spate of killings and sundry crime have refused to abate in Nigeria.
Suggesting solution to the myriad of insecurity challenges that have almost overwhelmed the nation, the learned silk advocated a tinkering with “Nigeria’s constitutional federalism” with a view to allowing establishment of state police, noting that a country with huge population and vast, swathe Land mass such as ours , it will amount to playing to the gallery if we continue to delude ourselves that the Federal police structure alone is capable of providing security for us. He noted that the situation in the South West has become so threatening security wise that the South West Governors were left with no other option than to integrate regardless of party differences and come up with the regional security outfit, South West Security Network code named “Operation Amotekun.” He added that no serious state government will fold up arms and watch as criminal activities and insurgency ravage their territory.
Prince Fagbemi equally advised Government to invest heavily in social security and reduce high rate of unemployment among the youth population, adding that the country has a lot of potentials and for these potentials to yield dividends , Government across different level will need to tighten up on the nation’s security architecture.
The Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, Okitipupa Branch , Barr. Omololu Nelson Bagbe in his remark implored the third estate of the realm , the judiciary, to ensure the process of rekindling the hope of the masses in the nation’s judicial system is fast tracked , stressing that the common man still hang their hope on an independent judiciary.
In an exclusive chat with thepolity.net , Barr. Bagbe said, the theme of this year’s Law Week, ” Security as the bedrock of a prosperous nation: rejigging Nigeria’s constitutional federalism” was borne out of the social reality of the Nigerian state particularly now that different region are establishing their respective security outfits to cater to each region’s peculiar security challenges.
The event which
held under the distinguish Chairmanship of Chief Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim, OFR, CFR, The Araba of Ikale Land , had in attendance eminent legal luminaries and jurists within Ondo state and beyond.
Earlier , there was the grounbreaking ceremony of the 25 million naira worth of an ultra modern NBA Center, brain child and project of the Nelson Bagbe led executive of NBA Okitipupa Branch.
Among the major highlight of the programme was conferment of awards on distinguished Ikales who have made their marks in their respective profession among whom were Prince RTD. Major Gen Sir. Joseph Olu Bajowa, OFR,FSS, NDI, PSC,PHD; Engineer. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele, Executive Director NDPHC and Olorogun Eddy Eniola Olafeso,former Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Ondo state.
The event also featured the Bar dinner as well as fund raising for the proposed bar center.
Speaking with thepolity.net on the fringe of the event, Dele Adesina SAN, said the topic of the lecture is the greatest challenge confronting Nigeria now and we all legal minds must come together and sound it very loud the reason why things cannot go on like this anymore in this country. ” The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended unambiguously stated that the security and safety of the people of Nigeria shall constitute the primary responsibility of government. That is why I said the topic is very timely,” Adesina stressed. He noted that rejigging Nigeria’s constitutional Federalism is apt and is a wake up call.
The Publicity secretary NBA , Okitipupa Branch, Barr. Akpo Kpiliboh said the NBA Law week 2020 is a great success and the groundbreaking ceremony of the Okitipupa NBA Center is a step in the right direction, adding that like all other branches that have come of age , the Okitipupa Branch will complete to time the project . On the topic of the lecture, Barr. Kpiliboh said all hand must be on deck to ensure threat to security and nation building is eradicated in the country .
Other awardees at the event were Hon. Barr. Abayomi Sheba, former Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Abuja; Hon . Kolade Victor Akinjo, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Niger Delta and Adebola Olarotimi Lema, Esq.
Among the notable dignitaries at the event were Abodi of Ikale Land, HRM Oba George Babatunde Faduyile, the Regent Of Ayeka Oluyemi Bajowa and Oniju of Iju Odo, HRH Oba Olumoyegun.
Others are Justice Peter Ikujuni, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, the guest speaker, Dele Adeshina SAN, Prof. Amos Idowu from the Faculty of Law, OAU Ife , ACP Bode Ojajuni Abdul, Kadir Olajide Ajana SAN, Tayo Akpata Esq, Dipo Opeseyi SAN and a host of others.
