The Presidential Working Group on state policing has said the National Policing Bill is nearly ready for transmission to the National Assembly, with the process expected to be completed within the next two weeks.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja.
“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, according to a statement from the Presidency.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so.”
Gbajabiamila, who was quoted in the statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the proposed legislation as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far”.
He said the bill had undergone extensive deliberations in recent weeks, following the commencement of discussions by the working group’s steering committee on August 3.
On concerns that some states might delay the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on state police, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the proposed constitutional amendment enjoyed broad national support.
His comments followed reports that only about six states out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had passed the amendment.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he added.
The proposed legislation and constitutional amendment form part of ongoing efforts to advance state policing in Nigeria, a move intended to strengthen policing arrangements and address security challenges across the country.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and the 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, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Other participants included the Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, retired Justice Abdullahi Liman; Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Olu Ogunsakin; and the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Lanre Smart.
Also present were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu; a representative of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser.
