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By Gloria Ikibah

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has sought technical support from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) as the National Assembly intensifies work on key constitutional and governance reforms, including proposals for the establishment of state police and increased representation of women in legislative institutions.

The request was made during a meeting with the newly appointed Resident Representative of KAS in Nigeria, Mr Moritz Sprenker, at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday.

The Speaker used the occasion to reaffirm the longstanding relationship between the House and the German foundation, noting that the partnership has contributed significantly to efforts aimed at strengthening democratic governance, legislative effectiveness and institutional development in Nigeria.

Abbas highlighted the importance of international collaboration in supporting legislative reforms, particularly at a time when the National Assembly is considering far-reaching proposals that could reshape aspects of Nigeria’s governance structure.

Among the key issues under consideration are bills seeking to establish state police as part of broader efforts to address security challenges across the country, as well as proposals designed to create reserved seats for women in Parliament in a bid to improve gender inclusion and political representation.

The Speaker expressed optimism that KAS, through its expertise and experience in democratic governance and public policy, could provide valuable technical assistance to lawmakers as they deliberate on the reforms.

He also recalled previous engagements between the House and the foundation, including a study visit to Germany by members of House committees responsible for security-related matters about two years ago. According to him, such exchanges have helped broaden lawmakers’ perspectives on governance, security management and legislative best practices.

The Speaker said, “Let me also use this opportunity to seek further support and continued partnerships. We need interventions that can sustain our democracy and improve the performance of our legislative responsibilities. 

“We would love to see KAS taking more interests this time around—besides the security-related areas where you have done well—in the area of the state police that the administration (of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR) and the National Assembly are working on.

“Again, we have another area where we feel KAS can also give a lot of support, and that is the reserved seats for women. If you take a look at the position of Nigeria in terms of women’s representation in the legislature, you will find out that we are like the fourth from the bottom.

“We are supposed to be at the forefront. Unfortunately and sadly, we have not been able to get to where we need to be. But we believe with cooperation and partnership, through sensitisation, we will go a long way in convincing the ‘Doubting Thomases’ that the future of Nigeria cannot be secured or guaranteed without women being a part of it.”

The National Assembly, as part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, is considering bills to decentralise the current unitary structure of the Nigeria Police Force and create state police, as well as the creation of special seats for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.

While the Speaker welcomed Sprenker to the ‘People’s House,’ he described his predecessor, Marija Peran, as “a wonderful person.”

He said, “Through her, we had a lot of mutually beneficial interactions with the House of Representatives.”
Earlier, Sprenker said he resumed in Nigeria in April, and the visit to Speaker Abbas was part of his consultations with relevant stakeholders in his host country.

The KAS Resident Representative, who noted that “Nigeria has been very nice to me so far,” said he has been doing an overview of his organisation’s programmes and partners in Nigeria.

Sprenker noted that KAS works closely with various political stakeholders, including civil society organisations (CSOs), political parties, parliaments, among others, to facilitate trainings and build capacity.

“For us, it is important that we do not come with ready-made solutions. We regard ourselves as facilitators,” he said.

KAS, a German political foundation affiliated with but operationally independent of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), maintains a presence in nearly 100 countries worldwide and has been actively involved in supporting democratic development initiatives across Africa.

The latest engagement signals the House leadership’s determination to draw on international expertise as lawmakers continue deliberations on reforms considered critical to Nigeria’s democratic consolidation, security architecture and inclusive governance agenda.

Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson; Chairman, House Committee on Services, Rep. Amos Daniel; and Chairman, House Committee on North West Development Commission, Rep. Suleiman Abubakar Gumi, were also at the meeting.

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Three passengers have been confirmed dead following the derailment of a train on the Warri–Itakpe Train Service.

The incident occurred on Monday.

While confirming the derailment, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said that emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance.

“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirms that an incident involving the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) occurred today.

“Emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance,” the statement signed by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kayode Opeifa, partly read.

The Corporation is closely monitoring developments and a detailed statement will be issued as soon as more information becomes available,” it added.

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Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the current calls for a probe of the military as unpatriotic, arguing that such a move would amount to a misplacement of priorities

The Senate has pledged to commence urgent deliberations on the establishment of state police this week as part of efforts to address the growing insecurity across the country.

Speaking at a media briefing with Senate correspondents, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, stated that the matter had gained priority among other issues in the ongoing constitutional review process.
According to him, the upper chamber is committed to supporting Nigerians’ demand for state policing and has already held a series of consultations with relevant stakeholders.
READ ALSO: State Police Constitutional Framework Near Completion, Presidency Says
‘We are standing with Nigerians on state police. That will come to fruition this week during plenary.
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“We have been holding a series of meetings with stakeholders and will fast-track deliberations so that the bill can proceed to the 36 state houses of assembly and eventually receive presidential assent,” he said.
The Senate Leader also described the current calls for a probe of the military as unpatriotic, arguing that such a move would amount to a misplacement of priorities given the country’s current security challenges.
On the controversy surrounding lawmakers’ remuneration, he asserts that the Senate would soon address public concerns by ensuring that details of senators’ salaries and allowances, as well as those of ministers and other public office holders are published.
He made the remarks while responding to recent court pronouncements that reportedly described the purchase of 110 billion SUVs and allowance scheme for lawmakers as illegal.
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Defending the acquisition, the Senate Leader again maintained that the vehicles were provided to facilitate constituency engagements and other official duties.
“Every vehicle given to us is meant for constituency work and other official assignments. Public office holders are entitled to such provisions. It is neither strange nor peculiar to lawmakers in Nigeria,” the senator said.
He added that the Senate was not surprised by the criticism, noting that the legislature’s oversight responsibilities often attract opposition and hostility.

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