National Assembly to consider State Police bill this week – Senate Leader

…Isolates legislation from Constitution amendment bills for accelerated consideration

The Senate has scheduled consideration of amendments to the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police in the country, with indications that the proposal could soon be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for concurrence.

Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Leader, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, stating that stakeholders across the federation are aligned with the National Assembly on the establishment of state police.

Bamidele explained that the National Assembly had resolved to separate the state police proposal from other ongoing constitutional amendment bills and expedite its passage in view of its national importance.

He also revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and state governors share the same position as the National Assembly on the creation of state police.

According to him, the legislative week, which begins on Tuesday, will be crucial for the Senate as the state police proposal tops its agenda.

Section 214(1) of the 1999 Constitution currently provides that: “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force.”

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In the statement, Bamidele said, “Our position is very clear on state police. We are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police.

“All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time to establish a state police than now.”

Bamidele said, “That is where we stand. Where we are coming in is to now help translate this popular desire of the people into reality as elected representatives of the Nigerian people.

“We came to the conclusion that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the state police. If I can tell you as of today, that will come to fruition this very week because there is no need to allow any further delay.

“There have been a series of meetings between the National Assembly.

“When I say the National Assembly, I mean Barau I. Jibrin, Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, and Benjamin Kalu, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, both of whom are representing the National Assembly.”

The Senate leader added, “They had been in a series of meetings with the office of Attorney-General; Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President; Tunji Disu, Inspector-General of Police, and other stakeholders in the last one week, and that is why I can sit here to tell you that we’re pursuing that this week.

“It is going to be the subject we will be dealing with this week. What we have resolved to do is to isolate it with the rest of the bills that we have proposed under the constitutional amendment so that we can vote on this as soon as possible.

“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 State Houses of Assemblies as soon as possible because you know we will need two-thirds of the state assemblies to approve it before the president can assent to it.”

“The president is also with us on this proposal. I am sure he cannot wait for the bill to come to him for assent. I am sure the majority of our governors, as we know, are in support of this bill.

The state assemblies are also waiting for this bill to come. We will initiate the proposal for the creation of state police within the week,” he stated.

Earlier, Femi Gbajabiamila had disclosed that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the proposed creation of state police as consultations on the constitutional framework for its establishment approached completion.