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ABUJA – The Senate has scheduled amendments to the 1999 constitution to provide for the establishment of state police in the country within the week, with an indication that it will be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for further legislation.
Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Monday, said all stakeholders across the federation “are on the same page with the National Assembly on the establishment of state police.”
Bamidele explained that the National Assembly would isolate the aspect from the ongoing constitution amendment and pass it into law due to its national exigency.
He also revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the state governors were on the same page with the National Assembly on the state police.
He added that the legislative week, which begins on Tuesday, would be a crucial one for the Senate as the issue of state police would top their agenda.
Recall that Section 214 (1) of the 1999 constitution said: “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force”.
In the statement by his Media and Public Affairs Directorate, 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 House of Assemblies as soon as possible because you know we will need two-third 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.”
