Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has advocated a local security system different from the federal security system in the country.

Speaking on the topic; "Federalism and Quest for National Integration and Development in Nigeria", at the opening ceremony of 2012 Biennial Law Week of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ilorin branch in Ilorin, Kwara State, the governor said a security system must be accountable to local authority, be it state or local government.

"I advocate a security system that will be accountable to local authority. That is not to suggest that there are no issues to be covered by the fderal security system. External maintenance of territorial integrity for example, it is not what a state government will do.

"But the whole idea of ensuring that we monitor our communal system should be left to us because it is only the people in the community who know the nooks and crannies of the community and not somebody from outside. It’s a simple logic," he said.

On likely abuse of such security system as said in some quarters, Governor Fayemi disagreed that there would be abuse, saying, "In the places it had been done, I happen to be a specialist in this area, without being immodest, the critical issue of security is governance structure. You don’t leave the governance structure in the hands of an individual. We are not saying governor alone must run the local security system. Local security system must be accountable to an authority that is local. That authority could be local clergy, Imam or chief, but we must have a system that is ready to care for the yearnings of the people at the local level, be it state or local government. It is the only thing that would work, nothing else", he said.

Meanwhile, as panacea to increasing agitations and recurrent outbreak of conflicts in the country, Governor Fayemi reiterated the call for a national conference.

The governor said the conference would enable various constituencies and groups to come together to renegotiate the terms of the Nigerian union, "and deal decisively with all the nagging and contentious issues that have been animating the country in negative manner."

The governor, who also said that there was need for a comprehensive constitutional reform process, added that the reform would ensure fundamental review of responsibilities and preserves of the various levels and tiers of government, adding that questions pertaining to the Federation Account, the Federal Character Principle, state police, fiscal federalism etc, would be sorted out.

Governor Fayemi blamed the recent crisis and downplay of the need for dialogue on influence of years of military rule in Nigeria, adding that the militarisation of the national psyche also affected individuals in their daily lives.