Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor of Kano State, has encouraged President Bola Tinubu to put some of the 2014 National Conference Report’s recommendations on community policing and restructuring into action.
“I have gone through that document. It is 2014 during (Goodluck) Jonathan’s government. He personally handed it over publicly at Eagle Square to President (Muhammadu) Buhari and nothing was done about it,” the former Minister of Education said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
“I’ll advise President Tinubu to dust it up. May be set up a small committee to review it and see things that are doable. Most of these things that we are talking about are there.”
The ex-governor advocated state police and restructuring that “allows bottom-up structure of government. There should be some participation of the people correctly”.
Shekarau, who applauded the President and state governors for considering the creation of state police, said Nigeria needs community policing owned by the community, while the government be the coordinator.
He said state police cannot be successful without traditional institutions and the involvement of the community.
He said at least 50,000 policemen should be recruited annually into the Nigeria Police Force.
Backs Parliamentary System
The ex-governor further backed the call for parliamentary system of government by a group of 60 lawmakers in the House of Representatives who, on Wednesday, sought amendments to the 1999 Constitution for transition from the current presidential system to the parliamentary system of government.
“I will prefer the parliamentary system to this (presidential) system. It will reduce our cost and bring in more involvement of the people.
“Look at what is happening in the UK. At every time when the Prime Minister misbehaves, they will quickly get rid of him or allow him to resign and elect another head of government.
“But today, it’s a hard nut to break when you talk of impeachment of the President. People have tried it and it never worked. This kind of thing must be changed,” Shekarau said.
Shekarau’s comment on the 2014 Confab Report came about a decade after then President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders organised the conference to proffer workable suggestions on how to move the country forward.
The national dialogue began on March 17, 2014 with the late respected Jurist, Justice Idris Kutigi (retd.), as its chairman.
494 Nigerians from all walks of life attended the conference for about five months. About N10bn was spent on the confab which produced over 600 recommendations including suggestions for the restructuring of Nigeria’s political, economic, social and security systems so as to quell agitations from difference geopolitical sections and achieve long-lasting peace.
However, the recommendations of the confab have not been implemented by successive administrations.