Disturbed by the rising level of terrorism and banditry across the country, the Senate has declared that it will consider amendments to the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police this week.
In a statement on Monday, June 8, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele from Ekiti Central, said that after the Senate’s consideration, the proposal would then be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for further legislative action.
In the statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele explained that all stakeholders across the federation “are on the same page with the National Assembly on the establishment of State Police.”
Bamidele, who said the National Assembly would isolate this aspect from the ongoing constitution amendment process and pass it into law due to national exigency, also revealed that President Bola Tinubu and all state governors are aligned with the National Assembly on the issue of state police.
He added that the legislative week beginning on Tuesday would be a crucial one for the Senate, with the issue of state police topping the agenda. Section 214 (1) of the 1999 Constitution currently states: “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force.”
Bamidele said: “Our position is very clear on state police. We are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police. All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time to establish a state police than now. That is where we stand. Where we are coming in is to now help translate this popular desire of the people into reality as elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“We came to the conclusion that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the state police. If I can tell you as of today, that will come to fruition this very week because there is no need to allow any further delay.
“There have been a series of meetings between the National Assembly. When I say the national assembly, I mean Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau I. Jibrin and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, both of whom are representing the National Assembly.
“They had been in a series of meetings with the office of Attorney-General, Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tunji Disu and other stakeholders in the last one week and that is why I can sit here to tell you that we’re pursuing that this week.
“It is going to be the subject we will be dealing with this week. What we have resolved to do is to isolate it with the rest of the bills that we have proposed under constitutional amendment so that we can vote on this as soon as possible.
“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 States’ Houses of Assembly as soon as possible because you know we will need two-thirds of the state assemblies to approve it before the president can assent to it.
“The president is also with us on this proposal. I am sure he cannot wait for the bill to come to him for assent. I am sure the majority of our governors, as we know, are in support of this bill. The state assemblies are also waiting for this bill to come. We will initiate the proposal for the creation of state police within the week.”
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had earlier disclosed that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the proposed creation of state police as consultations on the constitutional framework for its establishment approach completion.
