Olushola Omogbehin
The speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria and governors have supported the constitutional amendment just passed by the Senate on state police thereby raising hopes that the bill could enjoy the approvals needed to become law.
After the Senate passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police across the federation, the state support which came in less than 24 hours, serves as a major breakthrough in Nigeria’s effort to decentralise policing and tackle worsening insecurity.
Meanwhile, before the bill would receive final approval, it must be approved by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
According to PUNCH, among the early supporters was the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, who commended the National Assembly for passing the bill which he described as a landmark step towards strengthening the country’s policing system.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, the governor said the passage of the bill is a courageous and timely step and measure to strengthen the nation’s security architecture and enhance the protection of lives and property.
In Kano State, deliberations on the bill began almost immediately as the State House of Assembly convened a stakeholders’ meeting with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to review the implications of the proposed amendment.
Speaking on this, the Public Relations Officer of the Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, said on Thursday that: “We’re at the moment in a stakeholders meeting with the State Governor, Abba Yusuf.”
He further said that the House would make its position known after consultations.
The Chairman and Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Dangyatin, described the Senate’s action as a historic breakthrough.
“The passage of this bill is a resounding victory for effective governance and community-focused policing. For years, the clamour for a security structure that understands the local terrain has been loud. With this enactment, we are empowering states to better protect their people and respond swiftly to security threats,” he said.
Gombe, Bayelsa and Ekiti States have also expressed their interest and support towards this bill.
Speaking in support of the reform, Labour Party through its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, described the action of the Senate as a major milestone in the efforts to strengthen internal security.
The party therefore appealed to governors, state lawmakers across the federation and other stakeholders to support it.
“The Labour Party commends the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, for its courage, swiftness and sense of patriotism in passing the State Police Bill recently transmitted to it by President Bola Tinubu.
“For years, Nigerians across all regions have clamoured for a more effective and responsive policing architecture capable of addressing the growing and increasingly complex security challenges confronting the nation,” Asogwa said.
The Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, said state legislatures remained committed to giving the bill diligent consideration.
“As Speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, we had earlier indicated our support for the proposed legislation because we believe that community-based policing, properly structured under law, will enhance safety and response time across our states. Security is local, and our people deserve policing architecture that understands their terrain and challenges.
“With the Bill now proceeding to the next legislative stage, the Conference assures Nigerians that State Assemblies will give it diligent consideration in line with Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.”
