The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency on the Nigeria Police Force, saying it appears as if only that would “enable them to perform creditably.”

NBA President Okey Wali (SAN) made the call yesterday while speaking on the opening day of the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the association holding at Ijaw House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. He lamented that all efforts so far made to reform the police and get it to perform better have failed, hence the suggestion of a state of emergency.

Wali declared NBA’s support for the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states recently declared by President Jonathan as well as for the setting up of a peace committee in the fight against terrorism in the country.

The NBA President, whose speech also touched on other burning issues such as constitution amendment and the raging power tussle in the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, commended Governor Seriake Dickson for his continued support for the NBA.

Declaring the meeting open, Governor Dickson thanked the NBA for choosing Bayelsa as venue for the meeting and commended it for supporting President Jonathan’s strategies in the war against terror.

The meeting is scheduled to last three days. The NWC is the NBA’s second highest decision-making body.

•Photo shows NBA President Okey Wali.