VICE President Kashim Shettima is presiding over a meeting of the National Economic Council, its first since President Bola Tinubu revived calls for the creation of state police to tackle worsening insecurity.
News Point Nigeria reports that Thursday’s meeting began at about 11:30 am local time when the VP arrived at the council chambers of the State House, Abuja.
Participants entered a closed-door session after the opening prayers by the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The NEC, a constitutional advisory body chaired by the vice president and comprising the 36 state governors, the central bank governor and key ministers, meets monthly to coordinate economic policy but often deliberates on wider governance challenges.
At a meeting with a delegation of eminent citizens of Katsina state, Tinubu renewed calls for the creation of state-level policing.
“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police,” he told the delegates at the State House, Abuja.
State policing has been a contentious issue in Nigeria, where violent crime, kidnapping and insurgencies have stretched national security forces.
Past attempts to decentralise policing have stalled over fears of political abuse by governors.
Thursday’s NEC session marks the first time governors are meeting formally since the president’s remarks, raising expectations that the issue could surface.
The NEC was still in session at the time of filing this report.
