The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has called for the decentralisation of powers, advocating for a tailored approach to governance determined by individual states.
“Each state should decide what typology of local governance fits its historical, cultural and administrative circumstances, but the resulting framework must be democratic, with periodic elections at no longer than four year intervals,” he said.
He mentioned this at the review of the 1999 Constitution in Kaduna for the North West Zone, led by the representative of Kano South Constituency, Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya (APC).
El-Rufai noted that the devolution would also affect the current structure of the country Police Force, as states would take full responsibility for an effective policing system.
The governor pointed out that states were already burdened by most operational and capital costs while the Federal Government oversaw the payment of salaries.
NAN quoted him as saying, “This includes decentralizing the police to enable the states to exercise effective control in securing their residents and communities.
“We need to have federal, state and community police, with each granted sufficient powers to make them effective in securing the areas assigned to them and cooperating closely with each other.
“Those expressing concerns about the ability of the states to bear the cost of policing should realize that apart from the payment of salaries by the federal government, most of the operational and capital costs of the Nigeria Police are borne by state and local governments.
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“The power to hire and fire police officers should revert fully and totally to the Inspector General of Police, under the supervision of the National Police Council, as envisaged by the Constitution.
“All mineral resources, including oil and gas and solid minerals, in the states, which will in turn pay royalties and taxes to the Federation Account.
“States already control land within their territories, courtesy of the Land Use Act, which is incorporated into the Constitution by reference.”
El-Rufai on Judicial Appointments
In the same vein, he said that the appointment of high court judges should rest solely on the State Judicial Councils and not the current system of selection by a National Judicial Council.
“It is an anomaly to have a National Judicial Council appointing high court judges for states. This should be the responsibility of State Judicial Councils,” he said.
“The remit of the National Judicial Council should be limited to the federal high and appellate courts. The constitutional amendment should clarify that the states can establish courts to exercise jurisdiction at first instance, or on appeal on matters for which the states can make laws.
“In essence, I am suggesting that judges of State High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal should be nominated by the State Judicial Council, subject to confirmation by the House of Assembly.
“The State Court of Appeal will entertain appeals from State High Courts, Customary and Sharia Courts of Appeal, on matters on which the State House of Assembly is empowered by the Constitution to make laws.
“This arrangement will make our judicial processes faster, encourage competition, deepen our jurisprudence and restore citizens’ trust.
“It will also significantly reduce the burden on the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
