Reps Begin Review Of Tinubu’s State Police Bill

The House of Representatives has begun consideration of President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Bill seeking to establish state police as part of ongoing constitutional amendments aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.

At a meeting of the House Committee on Constitution Review, the Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the committee, Dr Benjamin Kalu, said lawmakers would conduct a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill and may adopt the version already passed by the Senate with only minor amendments where necessary.

Kalu noted that the House had on June 11 passed its own Constitution Alteration Bill on state police before proceeding on recess. However, lawmakers on July 14 rescinded that decision following the transmission of the Executive Bill by President Tinubu.

According to Kalu, the Executive Bill has already passed first and second readings in the House, while stakeholder engagements held during the National Assembly Open Week fulfilled the public hearing requirement.

He said the Constitution Review Committee would scrutinise the legislation to ensure it reflects the aspirations and expectations of Nigerians.

Kalu described the proposal as one of President Tinubu’s signature constitutional reform initiatives, noting that the President had consistently advocated a multi-layered policing system since his tenure as Governor of Lagos State.

Kalu said the Executive and Legislature were working together to achieve a common national objective of improving security.

Kalu said the committee met outside the House’s regular Tuesday sitting because of the urgency attached to the legislation.

He also disclosed that the House and Senate were working closely to fast-track the amendment process and expressed confidence that the bill would receive presidential assent once passed by the National Assembly.

He said the committee would use the Senate-passed version as its working document during the clause-by-clause consideration.

According to him, the Executive Bill is largely similar to previous versions considered by the National Assembly, with only minor modifications, including the introduction of Section 318 on interpretation and transitional and saving provisions to guide implementation.

Kalu said the Senate had also introduced about eight minor amendments, which the House committee would review and adopt where appropriate.

If passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and assented to by President Tinubu, the constitutional amendment will pave the way for the establishment of state police, creating a multi-tier policing system intended to enhance internal security and improve responses to crime and other security threats across the federation.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji