For Nigerians advocating for state police, the wait may be prolonged as the process of amending the 1999 constitution to accommodate this initiative is estimated to take around two years.
The constitution amendment process, as per the work plan revealed by the committee on constitution review led by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, is anticipated to span from January 2024 to December 2025.
During an interview with NewsNow on Monday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, mentioned that, similar to other constitutional revision matters, the amendment of the Nigeria Police Act to incorporate state police would endure a two-year timeframe.
Further emphasizing the commitment to this cause, the Federal Government set up a committee on February 15 to evaluate the potential of establishing state police in response to the escalating security challenges in the country despite the deployment of troops across various regions.
The bill regarding state police, co-sponsored by Kalu and 14 others, successfully passed its second reading on February 20, 2024, aiming to amend certain provisions of the 1999 constitution to enable states to establish their police forces.
Provisions and Amendments
Entitled ‘A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Establishment of State Police and Related Matters,’ the bill proposes placing policing on the concurrent list, which is a departure from its current placement on the Exclusive Legislative List under the control of the Federal Government.
Comprising of 18 clauses, the bill targets to amend various sections of the constitution to facilitate the establishment of state police entities.
As outlined in the work plan revealed by NewsNow, the engagements in June will encompass meetings with all 36 state governors to garner their backing for the amendment during the state assemblies’ deliberations.
The engagement with governors also serves the purpose of seeking their support for the passage of the contentious local government autonomy bill.
Ahead of these meetings, the committee will engage with civil society groups, citizens, marginalized communities, a process that will be overseen jointly by the Constitution Review Committee and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre.
Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Waive, discussed the two-year work plan of the Constitution Review Committee, emphasizing the constitutional nature of the state police bill and the extended timeline of the overall constitution amendment process.
The National Economic Council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, is expected to provide input on this matter, with several states already expressing support for the establishment of state police and suggesting constitutional amendments for this purpose.
While progress continues on the state police initiative and related constitutional amendments, the specific timing for the next NEC meeting is yet to be confirmed, following initial reports from state governors backing the state police establishment.
Expanding the capacity of the police force can be achieved by providing them with proper equipment and increasing recruitment efforts.
Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, criticized the lengthy time frame for implementing state policing through a two-year constitutional amendment. He emphasized the urgency of the situation and urged the legislative committee to expedite their work.
Expressing his concerns, Amodu stated, “It is regrettable that such a crucial matter is being prolonged by the lawmakers. The issue of state policing is critical for the country’s security and should not be delayed for two years. The committee should act swiftly as this is a pressing need.”
He further added, “The legislative committee needs to expedite the process. This matter demands immediate attention to address the current security challenges. While a constitutional amendment may be necessary, it should not take two years to complete. Though the adoption by the State Houses of Assembly will involve a process, it should not be excessively prolonged.”
In a similar vein, security expert Afolabi Solanke argued that the bill’s debate and enactment could be accomplished within a month if there was a genuine desire among legislators to implement state policing due to its urgent nature.
“A two-year timeline is unreasonable for such a significant bill to pass through both chambers of the legislature. This protracted period is unnecessary and inadequate for addressing the current emergency. If there is a genuine commitment to this cause, there should be no need for a two-year wait. Political games should not be played with critical issues that impact people’s lives,” Solanke emphasized.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kabir Adamu, a security risk consultant and Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, emphasized the importance of the state policing issue for Nigeria. While supporting a thorough constitutional amendment process, he cautioned against wastage of resources and stressed the need for tangible results.
Dr. Adamu emphasized, “Understanding the states’ perspectives should precede significant spending. Past experiences show that lengthy processes may lead to non-implementation, resulting in wasted resources. While endorsing a comprehensive approach, we must avoid resource mismanagement that yields no substantial outcomes.”