A former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Udengs Eradiri, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for showing the required political will in proposing the establishment of state police.

Eradiri, a former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment in Bayelsa, said Tinubu had again displayed uncommon vision and strength in areas where his predecessors lacked courage.

Eradiri, who welcomed the move, described it as a long-awaited reform, commending President Tinubu for demonstrating the courage to actualise it.

“I think it is better late than never. We are coming late on the issue of state police. It has been an issue Nigerians have been yearning for over the years. Nobody had mustered the political will to actualise it, but we want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having the political will to actualise it," he said.

He added that the President had shown similar determination in other sectors, particularly the energy sector.

He, however, said the proposed establishment of state police would not by itself solve Nigeria’s security challenges unless state and local government authorities demonstrated leadership.

Eradiri argued that Nigeria’s insecurity was rooted more in poor state leadership than in the absence of police.

According to him, many governors have failed to address the underlying causes of insecurity, including unemployment, weak local governance and poor investment in security infrastructure.

“It is not just about the state police. From the local government to the state, the drivers of insecurity are those areas that the governors have failed to deal with. We don’t expect state police to perform any magic because it will not,” he said.

The former IYC leader emphasised the need for disciplined and competent leadership at the state and local government levels, urging governors to invest in policing, infrastructure and economic development to create employment opportunities for young people.

He blamed abuse of power, corruption and incompetence among political leaders for worsening insecurity, insisting that governance at the grassroots had become ineffective.

“The strongest arm of government is the local government, but we have turned it into a settlement process. People just go there and, at the end of the month, share the money. This has to stop,” he said.

Drawing comparisons with other countries, Eradiri noted that local governments elsewhere drive development, lamenting that Nigeria had failed to utilise its grassroots institutions effectively.

He also expressed concern over the declining agricultural sector, warning that insecurity would persist unless the state and local governments tackled leadership failures and revived the economy.

Eradiri questioned the preparedness of states to operate their own police formations, asking whether adequate training facilities and incentives existed for recruits.

He urged governors to strengthen support for existing security structures by improving welfare, providing modern technology such as drones and other equipment, and enhancing the operational capacity of local vigilante groups.

“Some governors are doing their best to support the police. The welfare, the environment they live in and the provision of technology like drones and other equipment must be provided to the state police,” he said.

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