Barring any last minute changes, the Senate will this Tuesday commence amendments to the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who disclosed the development in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Monday, said the moves aligns with the yarning of Nigerians, adding that the bill will be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for further legislation once it is passed by the Senate.
“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,” he said.
Mr Bamidele said “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.”
He said the National Assembly leadership had held a series of meetings in the past week with the Office of the Attorney-General, the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, and other stakeholders, and expressed confidence that the bill was ready for passage.
“They had been in a series of meetings with the office of Attorney-General, Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tunji Disu 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,” he said.
Bamidele explained that after passage by the National Assembly, the bill would be transmitted to the state assemblies for ratification, noting that the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state assemblies was required before the President could assent to it.
“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 States Houses of Assembly 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,” he said.
Daily Intel Newspaper reported that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had in a fora disclosed that the framework for the establishment of State Police had reached advanced stage.
This follows the increasing spate of insecurity especially in the northern region, leading to calls for the establishment of State Police.
