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…hails President Tinubu on 74th birthday
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed that the National Assembly is advancing work on a decentralised policing framework designed to prioritise accountability and curb abuse by political actors.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, said the proposed model would devolve policing powers while embedding safeguards to prevent misuse and protect citizens’ rights.
“The National Assembly is committed to crafting a framework for a decentralised police model that will serve the interests of all regardless of their status,” he said.
In a statement issued on Sunday to mark the 74th birthday of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the senate leader said the parliament was prioritising the initiative amid growing calls for reforms to address persistent insecurity across the country.
According to him, the president “has already lent his voice to the creation of a decentralised police model as part of measures to ensure the security of lives, private property and public installations across the federation.”
Stakeholders have long advocated a decentralised policing system as a more responsive approach to protecting lives and property, especially in remote communities, a push that has gained traction with executive backing and legislative action.
As part of the process, the Nigeria Police Force recently submitted a comprehensive framework to the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, for consideration by lawmakers.
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Bamidele stressed that the essence of the proposed model “is to devolve policing powers to the sub-national authorities with a view to ensuring effective governance even in the remotest part of our land,” adding that the request is receiving priority attention from the legislature.
He further explained that the framework under consideration “will incorporate accountability mechanisms that will prevent the abuse of power by the political class; reinforce justice administration; discourage the culture of impunity and set guardrails for the preservation of fundamental human rights.”
“All these initiatives are at the core of shared conviction, which the Presidency and National Assembly have been working on to secure Nigeria better,” he added, assuring that the model would align with global best practices.
The senate leader also commended President Tinubu’s approach to tackling insecurity, noting that the administration has gone beyond conventional strategies to address underlying drivers of extremism, terrorism and violent crime.
Reflecting on the president’s 74th birthday, Bamidele described Tinubu as “a man of history, purpose and vision, who rose above barriers to steer the ship of our fatherland out of the turbulent sea.”
He added that the president “has remained firm and resolute, leading daily our fatherland with conviction and resilience, dexterity and patriotism despite the difficult times we are going through.”
Bamidele further noted that Tinubu’s reform agenda, though initially challenging, “has now started yielding enviable outcomes that promise a greater Nigeria,” citing improvements in fiscal management and economic stability.
While acknowledging prevailing challenges, he maintained that the administration’s policy direction is positioning Nigeria on a path toward economic recovery, political stability and social cohesion.
