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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
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.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, 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, who was accompanied to the briefing by leaders of the various caucuses in the House, explained that there have been extensive consultations on the proposed alteration, noting that the Inspector-General of Police, as well as the executive arm of government and the 36 state governors, have already expressed support for the establishment of state police.
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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 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 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,” Kalu said.
