149 Copyright © Canadian Research & Development Center of Sciences and Cultures ISSN 1913-0341 [Print] ISSN 1913-035X [Online] www.cscanada.net www.cscanada.org Management Science and Engineering Vol. 6, No. 2, 2012, pp. 149-152 DOI:10.3968/j.mse.1913035X20120602.3045 Security Policy Formulation in Local Government Councils in Nigeria Basil C. Nwankwo [a],* ; Stephen Ocheni [b] ; Moses Atakpa [c] [a] Professor and Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria. [b] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja. [c] Head of Service, Kogi State, Nigeria. * Corresponding author. Received 4 April 2012; accepted 25 June 2012 Abstract Security planning policy making is an essential but regrettably neglected area of the local government council management in Nigeria and one, which has demonstrated serious implications for virtually all aspects of its operations. The need for security planning policy making more than ever before, has become very necessary considering the current sophisticated and complicated security problems and challenges facing the Nigerian state today, especially at the local council levels. The local government councils of recent have to deal with security challenges arising from ethno-religious riots, crises, militant groups like “MEND” in the Niger Delta, Boko Haram in the North East, kidnapping, armed robbery, hired assassins, communal clashes, chieftaincy tussles, activities of touts/transport operators, mismanagement of resources through sharp fraudulent practices, etc. The approach of the local government councils in handling these security problems and challenges has been anything but satisfactory. The councils had adopted reactionary approach by reacting to the challenges as they arise instead of finding a permanent solution to the problem by adopting preventive security strategy which would anticipate and develop security framework to deal with such problems before they are experienced. The best approach for effective and efficient security management at the local government councils in Nigeria is the adoption of an institutionalized framework for security planning formulation and policy making implementation. Key Words: Security policy; Formulation; Local government councils; Nigeria Basil C. Nwankwo, Stephen Ocheni, Moses Atakpa (2012). Security Policy Formulation in Local Government Councils in Nigeria. Management Science and Engineering , 6 (2), 149-152. Available from URL: http://www.cscanada.net/index. php/mse/article/view/j.mse.1913035X20120602.3045 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.mse.1913035X20120602.3045 INTRODUCTION Security planning policy making is an essential but regrettably neglected area of the local government council management and one, which has implications for virtually all aspects of its operations. In contrast with the USA, United Kingdom, etc., security policy has not received the attention it deserves in Nigeria but now that local government councils all over the country are at risk from an increasing number of threats, public interest in this dilemma is growing. As society changes so does the nature of security problems and many are regarded as endemic with complex socio-economic and even political bases, but their importance cannot be underestimated. As Metcalf (1989) reminds us, no local government council is immune even from the more innocuous outlets for human emotion. The modern local government Chairman must take full responsibility for security and develop policies and a coherent strategy in relation to the crimes and misdemeanors which threaten the survival of the councils. There are some basic elements involved in security policy formulation. These basic elements include: People-Centred Policy It is quite mistaken to consider security only at the planning stage of a building or even to regard security as simply a physical building problem. Security presents a substantial management challenge because it is concerned with a complex interaction between people, buildings, collections and services. Successful policies recognize the central importance of human behaviour in the process, because it is people who commit offences, people who