Akeredolu’s advocacy continues to shape state police debate – Aiyedatiwa

The Ondo State Governor, Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has said the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s dream of establishing state police in Nigeria will eventually become a reality.

Aiyedatiwa stated this at a colloquium held in Ibadan to mark Akeredolu’s 70th posthumous birthday, where he described his former principal as a courageous public servant whose advocacy for true federalism and a decentralised security architecture continues to shape national discussions on Thursday.

The governor, who fondly referred to Akeredolu as “My Oga,” said the late former Ondo governor remained committed to finding practical solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

According to him, Akeredolu’s advocacy went beyond speeches, pointing to the establishment of the Amotekun Corps by governors in the South-West as one of the practical outcomes of his push for community-based security.

Akeredolu’s advocacy for State Police and a decentralised security architecture continues to influence Nigeria’s national policy and constitutional discussions,” Aiyedatiwa said

He added that recent security operations involving the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies in Ondo State forests had demonstrated the importance of local intelligence and community participation in tackling insecurity.

Aiyedatiwa also said the administration of President Bola Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to advancing the State Police debate as part of broader institutional reforms.

He, however, stressed that the establishment of State Police must be accompanied by mechanisms that would guarantee professionalism and public confidence.

Any State Police framework must include credible recruitment, proper vetting, professionalism, accountability and public trust,” he said.

The governor said the most appropriate way to honour Akeredolu’s legacy was to continue working towards building a safer and more responsive country.

He said, “The best way to honour Akeredolu would be to build a Nigeria that is safer, more federal, more just and responsive to its citizens,” rather than limiting his legacy to ceremonies and monuments.

Also speaking at the event, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police, said Nigeria required additional police personnel to bridge the gap between its current policing capacity and the United Nations-recommended police-to-citizen ratio.

Abiodun said the country needed 554,353 additional police personnel and called for comprehensive reforms to ensure that State Police, when established, would be effective and sustainable.

Other dignitaries, including former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, paid tribute to Akeredolu’s contributions to security reform, regional integration, federalism and good governance.

The colloquium brought together government officials, political leaders, legal practitioners and members of Akeredolu’s family to reflect on his contributions to Nigeria’s development and his advocacy for security and constitutional reforms.