By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federal Government has said it will transmit the National Policing Bill to the National Assembly within two weeks, as efforts intensify to advance police reforms and establish state police in Nigeria.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja.
Gbajabiamila said the bill was about 90 per cent ready and required only a few outstanding issues to be resolved before transmission to the National Assembly.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready,” he said.
He explained that state governors had raised a few observations that would be addressed before the bill was finalised.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” he added.
Gbajabiamila described the proposed legislation as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far,” noting that the working group’s steering committee had undertaken extensive deliberations since August 3.
The proposed legislation is part of the broader effort to reform Nigeria’s policing system and strengthen the country’s security architecture.
On concerns that state governments might delay the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill, which seeks to establish state police, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the proposed amendment enjoyed broad national support.
His comments followed reports that only about six states had passed the constitutional amendment out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He maintained that there was a national consensus on the need for the proposed changes and expressed optimism that the process would progress.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.
READ ALSO:NLC rejects FG’s minimum wage position, insists on early negotiations
The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Other participants included Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, retired Justice Abdullahi Liman; Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; and Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Lanre Smart.
Also present were Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser.
The planned transmission of the bill is expected to pave the way for legislative consideration as the Federal Government pursues its proposed reforms of the country’s policing framework.
