The State Police Bill has become the most talked about item from the National Assembly this week. In this article, we present everything there is to the bill.
OrderPaper, in its Legislative Intelligence Forecast Entry (LIFE) article for the week, had predicted that the issue of state policing would be on the radar at the national assembly. (Read the full article here.)
As predicted, the House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for a second reading a Bill to establish State Police in the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Rep. Muktar Shagaya (APC, Kwara) a co-sponsor of the Bill presented and led the debate at plenary but the Bill was originally sponsored by Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia) and 15 others.
The piece of legislation is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Establishment of State Police and for Related Matters (HB.617).
The bill was proposed in the eighth assembly and the ninth assembly but failed. Now it has scaled a second reading in the tenth assembly. Here’s all you need to know about the bill.
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE BILL
- JOINT RESPONSIBILITY
- COORDINATION
- INDEPENDENCE
- POLICE COMMISSIONS
- POLICE COUNCIL
- FUNDING
SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION (AS AMENDED) TO BE ALTERED
KEY NOMENCLATURE CHANGES.
RED FLAG – APPOINTMENT
RED FLAG – REMOVAL
RED FLAG – RECOMMENDATION FOR REMOVAL
RED FLAG – RECOMMENDATION AGAIN
RED FLAG – FINANCING
RED FLAG – INTERVENTION
RED FLAG – NO INPUTS FROM STATES
RED FLAG – FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE
RED FLAG – NOTHING FOR CURRENT POLICE OFFICERS
RED FLAG – STATE ASSEMBLIES OWNED BY GOVERNORS
CONDITIONS FOR AN INTERVENTION BY FEDERAL POLICE
FACES BEHIND THE BILL
- SPONSOR:
Rep . Benjamin Okezie Kalu( APC, Abia)
Deputy Speaker House of Representatives
Co-Sponsors:
Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo); Rep. Thaddeus Attah (LP, Lagos); Rep. Hassan B. Shinkafi; Rep. Obed Paul Shehu; Rep. Tolani Shagaya; Rep. Blessing Onuh; Rep. Onanuga A. Oriyomi; Rep. Ibe Okwara-Osonwa; Rep. Joshua Audu Gana; Rep. Chinwe Clara Nnabuife; Rep. Fatima Talba; and, Rep. Abubakar H. Nalaraba.
OrderPaper had tipped Rep Kalu and Rep Ihonvbere among 12 lawmakers in the House of Reps to look out for in 2024. See why.
David Oputah
Oputah David M is a Bloomberg-trained Journalist with a diversified experience in online journalism and newsroom management. He is a 2023 MTN Media Innovation fellow!
