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Why we insist on state police, by Southern governors

Southern governors yesterday said having state police will give them more control over security decisions in their states.
They believe locals are better placed to fight crime because they understand the terrain and language.
The state helmsmen met under the Southern Governors Forum (SGF) in Abeokuta.
They appointed host Governor Dapo Abiodun as chairman.
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, was named Vice Chairman.
Also in attendance were Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Alex Otti (Abia), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun).
Others are Bassey Otu (Cross River), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
Deputy Governors Chinyere Ekomaru (Imo), Monday Onyeme (Delta) and Olayide Adelami (Ondo) represented Hope Uzodimma, Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori and Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Rivers State Governor, Similayi Fubara, was absent and was not represented.
Abiodun replaced former Ondo governor, the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
The governor, who featured on a national television last night, said the forum deliberated on state police, the political upheaval in Rivers, infrastructure and agriculture, among others.
He said the 17 Southern governors were united in their call for state police.
Abiodun said: “We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing.
“We spoke with one voice in support of regional security outfits which almost all regions have set up.
“The outfits are working hand in glove with the law enforcement agencies and providing them with intelligence and support.
“We all know that we cannot have any meaningful development in the atmosphere of insecurity.
“We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing, and regional security outfits, working hand-in-glove with the security outfits.
“The governors are called state chief security officers. But, we know that the Commissioner of Police is appointed by the Inspector General of Police and is only answerable to the IG.
“And when the governor needs to call the attention of the CP on an urgent task in his state, the governor will have to first clear with the IG.
“What have we discovered? In most cases, a policeman from Borno, Maiduguri, posted to Lagos or Ogun states, for instance.
“Such an officer doesn’t understand the terrain, he doesn’t speak the language and he does not get the level of intelligence he needs.
“By the time he is settling down to understand these factors, he is transferred to another state.
“We’re calling for community police to tame insecurity in the state and the nation.
“Under the state police arrangement, a policeman posted to his ward won’t have problems with language and intelligence.
“In that case, the policeman understands the community and the locals, language, the sentiments and, he knows the criminals within his territory.
“It is also common knowledge that the federal police have a shortage of manpower.
“We, as governors, are not in charge or control of our states as far as security is concerned.
“Yet, we fund the federal police operations, yet we are not getting the best from them. They don’t have enough personnel.
“State policing is not something new.
“We have several types of policing structure in other climes where we took our democracy from.”
Speaking on local government tenure, Abiodun said it was unconstitutional for anybody to extend the tenure of constitutionally elected public servants.
Referring to Rivers political quagmire where the House of Assembly extended the tenure of the local government chairmen, Abiodun said: “On local government administration, it is a constitutional issue that will be put to rest at a point in time.
“When your tenure has expired, it stands to reason that your tenure has expired.
“It is not up to the governor of that state or anybody else to extend the tenure of the local government chairmen.
“The collective position of the governors is that it would be a dangerous precedent and an abuse of the democratic ethos for the tenure of an elected local government chairman to expire and for anyone to imagine that their tenure can be extended by one day.
“I think that puts that matter to rest. If that is not the case, that becomes a precedent, a reference point, and the thing is that somebody will ask for a tenure extension.
News
JUST IN: President Tinubu set to return to Nigeria after Saint Lucia, Brazil trip

President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Saturday (today) two weeks after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil.
The President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga announced this in a post on his official X handle.
Recall that Tinubu departed Abuja for Saint Lucia and Brazil on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The President paid a state visit to Saint Lucia as part of efforts to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations and strengthen South-South cooperation.
Tinubu on July 4th departed Saint Lucia for Brazil where he attend the 2025 BRICS Summit, held July 6-7, 2025.
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CBN And Bank of Industry Partner With CEAN To Stabilise Nigeria’s Creative Sector Post-COVID
For more than a decade, CEAN has played a vital role in connecting Nigeria’s informal creative workforce to structured policy, funding, and formal economic opportunities.

September 12, 2022, Lagos, Nigeria –
In a bold and strategic move to rescue Nigeria’s creative industries from the lingering economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) partnered with the Creative Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (CEAN) to design and implement a nationwide intervention targeting vulnerable creative businesses.
The collaboration, launched in mid-2022, marks a milestone in the recognition of Nigeria’s creative economy as a critical pillar of national development—and affirms CEAN’s position as a trusted stakeholder in industry policy and infrastructure development.
Responding to a Sector in Crisis
The partnership was galvanized by CEAN’s early post-pandemic white paper, “Creating Through Crisis: The Future of Nigerian Creativity Post-COVID.
It presented compelling data and policy recommendations that influenced federal strategy.
While other sectors received initial support under the government’s economic recovery plans, it was CEAN’s persistent advocacy and detailed sector mapping that brought national attention to the creative industries’ urgent needs.
CEAN’s nationwide rollout had seen the training of over 2,000 creative entrepreneurs, advisory support to more than 500 micro-businesses, and the establishment of regional Creative Recovery Hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.
“From day one of the pandemic, we understood that Nigeria’s cultural workforce—millions strong—was at risk of collapse,” said Adebowale Ewedemi, CEAN founding executive and veteran media entrepreneur.
“We didn’t just lobby for change; we brought the tools, the structure, and the roadmap,” said Ewedemi.
From Blueprint to Implementation
The result was a landmark intervention program backed by BOI and regulated by CBN, with CEAN serving as the official implementation partner.
The program delivers targeted support to struggling sub-sectors including independent film, performance art, fashion, radio, music, design, and digital content production.
Highlights of the program include:
• Access to low-interest working capital for creative entrepreneurs
• Training grants and accelerator programs for skill development
• Support for studio and performance infrastructure
• Technical assistance for digital transformation and business retooling.
CEAN’s nationwide rollout had seen the training of over 2,000 creative entrepreneurs, advisory support to more than 500 micro-businesses, and the establishment of regional Creative Recovery Hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.
Sustained Leadership in Nigeria’s Creative Economy
This intervention is only the latest in CEAN’s long record of national impact. During the peak of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the association served as a frontline support system—offering emergency relief, transitioning training programs online, and shaping portions of the Federal Government’s Survival Fund.
For more than a decade, CEAN has played a vital role in connecting Nigeria’s informal creative workforce to structured policy, funding, and formal economic opportunities.
Through this work, the association—under Ewedemi’s leadership—has consistently introduced original models, innovative frameworks, and institutional partnerships that define sustainable creative sector governance in Africa.
Architects of a New Creative Economy
This partnership with CBN and BOI reflects a broader understanding that Nigeria’s future is tied to the creative ingenuity of its people—and that long-term development requires strategic institutions with deep insight, trust, and capacity.
“We’re proud to move beyond advocacy into implementation. This is not a moment—it’s a movement. We are helping to reshape the creative industry into a nationally recognized economic force, ”said Ewedemi.
As the creative sector continues to recover and rebuild, CEAN remains committed to ensuring that no artist, content creator, or cultural innovator is left behind.
News
President Tinubu congratulates Governor Okpebholo on Supreme Court Victory

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court.
The Edo State governorship election took place in September 2024, and Governor Okpebholo was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Supreme Court, as the final arbiter, upheld the election of the governor today.
According to the press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), President Tinubu encourages Governor Okpebholo to be magnanimous in victory and rally the citizens of Edo across divides towards a singular vision of advancing the state’s development.
The President advises that now that the governor has cleared the legal hurdles, it is time for him to accelerate the delivery of exceptional services and good governance to the people of Edo State, which he has already begun to do.
President Tinubu also congratulates the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and calls for cohesion and dedication in effectively discharging the mandate given by the people.
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