The Senate has started the process of fast-track constitutional changes to set up state police in Nigeria, in what lawmakers refer to as an unprecedented consensus between President Bola Tinubu, state governors and the National Assembly, which could prove one of the more significant security changes since Nigeria returned to democratic rule.
The proposed bill that has been the focus of national security debates for many years now is now to be detached from the wider constitutional review process to fast-track its transmission through the 36 State House of Assembly for consideration.
The development marks a significant change in Nigeria’s policing and internal security, as many States are facing challenges of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal violence and other security challenges which have overstretched the capacity of the current centralised policing mechanism.
The leader of the senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, revealed that all the key players in the whole process had rallied behind the proposal and that the current time was the best one ever to set up the state police.
He said the discussions with the Presidency, the National Assembly leadership, governors, security agencies and constitutional review committees have been conducted and have built a good consensus among them on the need for a reform that was immediately necessary.
Our stance on state police is very clear, we are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police. All the layers of the federation have said that the time to set up state police is now, Bamidele said.
The Senate leader announced the proposal would dominate discussions on the Hill this week and senators are set to eliminate any procedural barriers that could hinder its passage.
A clear showing of support by the Executive, Bamidele said President Tinubu is wholeheartedly on board with the process and hopes it would be completed.
I know the President cannot wait for the bill to be brought to him for his assent,” he said, “The President is also with us on this proposal.”
Bamidele also revealed that most of the governors and state legislatures are also behind the initiative, making the chances of the initiative getting the constitutional endorsement needed to become law more promising.
The National Assembly has decided to split the state police bill from other proposals under review in Parliament for constitutional amendments that could take time for speedy consideration.
The transfer is believed to free politicians to concentrate on the law alone and enable it to be promptly presented to state legislatures for ratification by at least two-thirds of the legislatures before it can be signed by the president.
The subject of consultations has been on-going intensely at the back of the scene between key government officials and stakeholders.
Senator Barau Jibrin, Chairman Senate Committee on Constitution Review and the Chairman of House Committee on Constitution Review, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, have convened a number of strategic meetings with stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Inspector-General of Police to finalise the framework for implementation.
The demand for state police has increased in recent years because of the concern that the security crisis in Nigeria needs to be addressed with a more localized approach which will allow for better intelligence gathering, community engagement and prompt response.
Proponents say the state police would make the law closer to the people and make it more accountable, but opponents remain wary of the possibility of the police being used by the state governments.
Those fears haven’t stopped the momentum rolling in favour of the reform, however, as evidenced by the latest development.
Previously, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that President Tinubu will soon be getting an all-inclusive report on the proposed framework for state police as consultations are nearing completion.
If the bill is approved by the National Assembly, state legislatures and President, then Nigeria would mark one of the most comprehensive constitutional and security overhauls in the country’s democratic history.
The next few weeks hold the potential to be pivotal in the long-awaited transformation of state police into a constitutional reality, which could serve as a more effective solution for a country grappling with security challenges.
