Constitution Review: Give us state Police, Bende North LGA, additional Federal Constituency for Ikwuano/Umuahia – Charles Ogbonnaya recommends

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Abia, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya has thrown his weight behind the call for state police, as he emphasized that the current Nigerian Police Force is overburdened, distant, and stretched thin.

Delivering his Presentation at the recently held Public Hearing for Constitution Review For Imo and Abia which held in Owerri, the Imo State Capital, Ogbonnaya maintained that centralised policing in a country as diverse and complex as Nigeria has become outdated and ineffective, stressing that Policing must return to the grassroots, this he said will deepen trust, improve intelligence gathering, and deter crime through familiarity.

The Elder statesman who noted that Nigeria which practices a presidential system modeled after that of the United States, wondered why the country has continued to deny its citizens the critical tool of State Police, which he said America and other advanced democracies use effectively.

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He however noted that the fear of abuse by governors was valid but not insurmountable as he added that Proper legal safeguards and robust judicial oversight can curb the perceived excesses, stressing that Nigeria must embrace State Police—not as an act of convenience, but as a matter of urgent national survival.

The Abia APC Chieftain also spoke on the need for the creation of Bende North, stressing that the current Local Government, as it exists today, was a historical injustice begging for correction owing to its population and geographical size. He maintained that creating Bende North Local Government is not a favour, but a long-delayed recognition of reality.

He also pointed to what he described as the imbalance in the configuration of the current Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, stressing that it is one of the very few constituencies in Nigeria that has not enjoyed fair federal constituency representation due to its size and complexity.

He called for a reconfiguration which he says will ensure better representation, and a stronger connection between elected leaders and their Constituents.