By Taye Obateru

Jos— Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, yesterday, renewed the call for constitutional amendment that would allow the establishment of state Police, saying it was the only way out of the recurring crises in states across the country.

According to him, the fear that governors would use them to harass political opponents had become outmoded and could no longer stand in the face of daunting security problems begging for solutions.

He spoke in a paper entitled, Amending the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999: Issues at Stake, delivered at a fund raising for the building of an international centre for law and diplomacy and public presentation of the University of Jos Law Journal at the institution.

Stressing the need to amend the section of the Constitution relating to the Police, Suswam said state governors having sworn to abide by the Constitution and the code of conduct of their offices would not dare misuse the Police knowing what awaited a breach of the code of conduct.

Says calls for SNC rebellious

He condemned calls for the convening of a sovereign national conference to determine the future of the country saying it was more of a call to rebellion and not constitutional reform.

“There is no time for profitless experimentation. The 2010 Constitutional amendment exercise affords opportunity for a peaceful and amicable route for constitutional reform that will promote the common good of every Nigerian. This is a more civilised pathway,” he said.

The Governor believed that the issues being raised by proponents of a sovereign conference such as confederation, devolution of powers, and ownership of minerals resources could be addressed through legislative or political processes.

Cautions on confederal issues 

He also argued that the idea of fiscal federalism was unworkable and would create more problems and economic imbalances for different parts of the country.

According to Suswam, “we should be reminded that issues of confederation and other issues earlier referred to were muted at the Aburi Conference held at the verge of the Nigerian Civil War in 1966 and the proposals were roundly rejected.

“The issues were again robustly discussed at the Constituent Assembly in 1978 and rejected.”