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A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bashir Zubairu, has accused lawmakers of failing in their constitutional responsibility to protect Nigerians, alleging that members of the National Assembly now prioritise their personal interests and those of the government over those of the people who elected them.
Zubairu made the remarks during an interview on Trust TV, where he criticised the House’s handling of the proposed state police bill and the legislative process.
“We, the elected members of the House of Representatives, are not doing what we are supposed to do for Nigerians in terms of laws and protecting the interests of Nigerians. We are not doing it,” he said.
“We are only there protecting the interests of ourselves and the interests of other people that are in government, not those that gave us their votes to represent them.”
The lawmaker said his opposition was not to the idea of state police itself but to what he described as the manner in which the bill was being processed.
“Particularly, I opposed the issue of the state police bill. I’m not against the Police Act, but I’m against the way and manner the procedure is taking place,” he said.
According to Zubairu, the latest version of the bill, which he said originated from the Presidency, should be subjected to extensive debate before any decision is taken.
“What we want and what we are expecting is that let us digest it. Let us bring it to the floor of the House. Let the members contribute. After the contribution of the members, let’s go for the public hearing. This is a bill for the public. This is a bill for Nigerians.”
Expressing doubts that the process would be followed, he added: “With the way and manner the leadership of the House wants to do it, I don’t think we are going to have that privilege.”
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Zubairu also questioned the financial capacity of state governments to sustain state police outfits, warning that the initiative could create fresh security challenges if implemented without adequate planning.
“Can the state governments fund the police? Even the national police are not being funded very well. That is what we have been arguing for a long period of time.”
“Instead of us to reduce the problem that we are having today, we will increase it,” he warned.
The lawmaker further claimed that copies of the new presidential proposal had not been distributed to lawmakers despite indications that the House leadership intended to fast-track its consideration.
“I have not seen it. I was in the House this morning, I was in the House this afternoon, I was in the House this evening,” he said when asked whether members had received copies of the bill.
He also criticised what he described as a growing trend of rushing executive-backed legislation through parliament, citing the tax reform bills as an example.
“Look at what happened to the tax bill. After the committee, nobody knows what happened. We just heard that the bill had already been cleared. Who removed those sections? Who inserted those sections? We have to know.”
Zubairu urged the National Assembly to allow adequate scrutiny and public participation before passing the state police bill, insisting that legislation with far-reaching implications for national security should not be rushed.
“If you give me two months, not 48 hours, we can properly consider this bill. We are talking about security, and we must get it right,” he said.
