The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said governors lack the constitutional powers to issue operational directives to security agencies, arguing that their role in addressing insecurity is largely limited despite being designated as chief security officers of their states.
Makinde stated this on Friday while speaking with journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting with Bauchi State Governor and APM leader in the state, Bala Mohammed, at the Government House, Bauchi.
The Oyo governor said state governors could neither direct the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) nor the military without approval from their respective national authorities, stressing why state policing is the right call.
“I cannot give an instruction to the Commissioner of Police in the state. He will need to get approval from the Inspector-General of Police. I cannot give an instruction to the state director of security. He will need to get clearance from the Director-General of the DSS. The same applies to the military and other security agencies responsible for handling insecurity,” he said.
Makinde said while governors could impose curfews during security emergencies, such decisions must be balanced against their economic consequences.
“Somebody said, ‘Oh, but you can declare curfew.’ I can declare curfew, but how does that fit with the economic activities of the people? So, we’re trying our best to work with the Federal Government,” he said.
Speaking on the security situation in Oyo State, the governor recalled that the abduction of schoolchildren in May
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