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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has begun consideration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Bill seeking to establish State Police as part of ongoing constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture.

The House Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, met on Monday to begin scrutiny of the proposed legislation, with indications that lawmakers may adopt the version already passed by the Senate, subject to minor adjustments.

Addressing committee members, Kalu recalled that the House had earlier passed its own Constitution Alteration Bill on State Police on 11 June before proceeding on recess. However, following the transmission of the President’s Executive Bill, the House reversed that decision on 14 July to pave the way for consideration of the new proposal.

He explained that the President, as Commander-in-Chief, was best placed to propose comprehensive legislation capable of addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

According to him, the Executive Bill has already passed first and second readings in the House, while the extensive stakeholder engagement held during the National Assembly Open Week effectively satisfied the public hearing requirement.

Kalu said: “You may recall that on the 11th of June, before the recess, the House considered and passed the Police Constitution Alteration Bill. However, following the introduction of an Executive Bill by the President, that decision was reversed by the House on the 14th of July to enable consideration of the Executive Bill coming from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“The bill has been referred to this Committee, and the Committee is not just the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairman. The Committee is you and I. Our responsibility is to carefully scrutinise this legislation and ensure that it reflects the aspirations and expectations of the Nigerian people”.

Kalu described the proposal as one of President Tinubu’s flagship constitutional reform initiatives, noting that the President had consistently advocated for a decentralised policing structure long before assuming office.

The Deputy Speaker emphasised that although the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary operate independently, they share a common responsibility to safeguard the nation.

“I must emphasise that the State Police Bill remains one of the signature constitutional reform initiatives of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As Governor of Lagos State, he was among the earliest advocates of multi-layered policing as a strategic solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. Today, as President, he is championing the same cause, demonstrating consistency between his convictions and his actions.

“As we have always argued, although we are three arms of government, we are one government. There is a national objective, and all we do is align ourselves with it, especially when that objective is in the best interest of Nigerians. Today, there is a national consensus that security must remain at the forefront of governance, and both the Executive and the Legislature are committed to achieving that objective,” he added.

He noted that lawmakers convened outside the usual parliamentary schedule because of the urgency surrounding the security situation.

He further stated that the House and Senate were working closely to speed up the constitutional amendment process and expressed confidence that the legislation would receive prompt presidential assent once passed by both chambers.

“We are here today not because it is convenient for us. Our parliamentary week ordinarily begins on Tuesday, but duty calls, and time is of the essence. We are joining hands with the Executive to ensure that this collaborative effort results in the successful passage of this priority constitutional amendment.

“Historically, the House and the Senate are working in tandem to ensure this significant constitutional amendment is achieved. I am confident that once it returns to the Executive, it will receive expeditious assent,” he said.

Explaining the committee’s task, Kalu said members will carry out a clause-by-clause review of the Executive Bill, using the Senate-approved version as the primary working document.

He noted that the Executive Bill closely mirrors previous drafts already considered by the National Assembly, with only a few notable additions.

“The purpose of today’s meeting is to consider the Executive Bill clause by clause and make appropriate recommendations to the House. We must note that the Senate has already considered and adopted the bill with certain amendments, and copies of that version have been circulated to members. This document will serve as our working draft throughout this exercise,” he stated.

“On the clause-by-clause consideration, the Executive Bill is substantially similar to what we have previously worked on, with only minor adjustments. Therefore, we do not anticipate any major departure from the work already undertaken,” he said.

Among the fresh provisions, Kalu highlighted the introduction of Section 318 on interpretation, alongside transitional and saving clauses intended to ensure a smooth implementation of the proposed State Police framework.

He also disclosed that the Senate introduced about eight minor amendments, which the House committee will examine and adopt where necessary.

“You will see the introduction of Section 318 dealing with interpretation, as well as transitional and saving provisions to facilitate the implementation and operationalisation of the State Police framework, together with other consequential amendments. The Senate also introduced about eight minor clauses with slight adjustments that are not too significant.

“So, as we proceed with this amendment process, we shall take into consideration the work already done by the Senate and adopt it where applicable”, Kalu said.

The committee’s consideration of the Executive Bill marks another key step in the constitutional amendment process, with lawmakers expressing optimism that the proposed legislation will provide Nigeria with a constitutionally backed multi-tier policing system capable of improving security and tackling crime more effectively across the federation.