By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
in Abuja
Former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Simon Okeke, Ochendo Ndigbo, has revived a 23-year-old advocacy for state police and true local government autonomy as Nigeria battles rising insecurity. In this analysis, we unpack his arguments for constitutional amendment, fiscal responsibility, and rule of law as pathways to safer communities and faster rural development.
Dr. Simon Okeke, Ochendo Ndigbo, who once chaired the Police Service Commission, PSC, says the Senate must amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police. He argues that Nigeria’s centralized policing model is overstretched and ill-suited for local threats.
According to him, state police will help in controlling high-level crime and the increasing wave of insecurity across states. A policing structure closer to the people, he believes, will improve response time, intelligence gathering, and community trust.
Okeke stresses that this is not a new position. “Knowing its benefits and importance, I have been calling for it 23 years ago,” he said, noting that the debate has lingered while insecurity has worsened.
On funding, he contends that allocations state governors receive from the federation account can pay state police very well and still cover other priority areas. The problem, he insists, is not lack of money but lack of priority.
He draws lessons from history: Nigeria once operated regional police forces that recruited well and paid officers decently. Those forces, he recalls, understood local terrains and maintained order effectively before the unitary policing structure took over.
Okeke also points to the United States as proof of concept. “It is being practiced in the US and that has been the magic behind the peaceful security environment they have been enjoying,” he said, referencing decentralized policing across states and municipalities.
However, he faults governors for poor use of security resources. “The state governors don’t use the allocations given to them as security vote; rather they pocket them,” Okeke alleged, calling for transparency and accountability.
He urges governors to use allocations properly to, among other things, fight insecurity. For him, security votes should fund intelligence, community policing, logistics, and welfare for personnel—not opaque spending.
Beyond police reform, Okeke insists that local government autonomy passed by the National Assembly and affirmed by the Supreme Court must be allowed to function. He says the law is clear, but practice lags behind.
“Governors don’t allow the local government autonomy to function,” he stated. He argues that interference by state executives has crippled councils and denied rural areas direct development funds.
Okeke maintains that governors should not interfere with local governments, to enable them use their autonomy effectively. Unfettered councils, he believes, can plan and execute projects that reflect local needs.
He predicts that if local government autonomy is allowed by governors, there will be rapid development in rural areas. Roads, water, primary healthcare, and markets would receive attention because councils are closer to the people.
Okeke also calls on local government chairmen and residents to act. “The local government chairmen and the local government dwellers should legitimately demand for their rights, based on the Supreme Court judgment and legislation from the National Assembly.”
For him, demand must be lawful and sustained. Citizens, traditional rulers, and civil society must hold both governors and council officials accountable to ensure funds translate into services, not excuses.
Across both issues—state police and LG autonomy—Okeke’s central message is respect for the rule of law. “Let people have respect for the rule of law and let all hands be on deck to promote democracy,” he said.
His analysis presents a two-pronged fix: decentralize security through state police and decentralize development through functional local governments. Twenty-three years after he first made the call, Okeke believes Nigeria’s stability now depends on the Senate and governors finally acting on both fronts.
