The House of Representatives has said it would vote on the alteration of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) today to create a framework for the decentralisation of policing in the country.
Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, said the House has resolved to prioritise security related bills, including the state police bill, in response to the escalating security crisis in the country.
Kalu explained that there have been extensive consultations on the proposed alteration, noting that the Inspector General of Police, the executive arm of government and the 36 state governors have already expressed support for the establishment of state police.
The Deputy Speaker, who reiterated the commitment of the House to state police, said it is not true that there were attempts to frustrate the proposal.
According to him, “When we say that the security of lives and property is the primary purpose of the government, the legislature must also play its part. Beyond summoning service chiefs and relevant agencies, there is a need for us to deploy legislative tools to bridge the gaps in the nation’s security framework.”
He explained that the extant laws, particularly Section 214 and other related sections, do not adequately provide for the kind of decentralised policing structure required to effectively combat insecurity and ensure faster response to criminal incidents.
“We have discovered that leaving the law as it is will not give us the expected results Nigerians desire. Therefore, we have prioritised constitutional amendments aimed at unbundling security-related challenges through legislation targeting state policing.
“We are here to announce to Nigerians that hope is coming. Hope for better response time to incidents of crime is here. By tomorrow, we will be voting on the constitutional amendment and we are prioritising state police.
“We have read reports that some people are trying to stop it, but the parliament is marching forward, and by tomorrow, we will be concluding on this. There is nobody stopping us from moving ahead with state police,” Kalu stated.
He expressed optimism that after the passage of the bill by the National Assembly, the various Houses of Assembly would also expedite action on it, so that it could be sent to President Bola Tinubu for his assent.
He added: “We are hopeful that after the exercise tomorrow, the amendment will be transmitted to the states and judging by the body language of the 36 governors who support state police, they will work with their Houses of Assembly to ensure quick ratification before it is transmitted to Mr. President for assent.
“We want all members to be in the chamber tomorrow to demonstrate to Nigerians that security remains a top priority on our agenda and that the House stands firmly behind the establishment of state police.”
