House of Representatives Plans to Align with Senate on State Police Bill

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has said it might adopt the state police bill already passed by the Senate. This move aims to speed up the constitutional amendment process.

The committee’s chairman and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, shared this on Monday during the committee’s review of President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill to create state police. This shows that both chambers of the National Assembly are working together on one of the key reforms from the Tinubu administration.

The committee began its discussions less than a week after President Tinubu sent the Executive Bill to the House.

In response, the House changed its earlier approval of a constitutional amendment bill on state police last Tuesday. This opened the way for the House to consider the President’s proposal.

The lawmakers also approved the Executive Bill for a second reading after adopting a motion from Francis Waive, the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business. He said the new proposal needed them to revisit the earlier bill.

At the meeting on Monday, Mr Kalu noted that the Senate version of the bill would be the working document for the committee. Only minor changes would be made where needed.

He explained that the committee would review the Senate’s amendments closely and adopt them when suitable.

"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 said.

Mr Kalu added that the Executive Bill is mostly in line with earlier drafts already looked at by the National Assembly. This means the House is unlikely to make major changes.

"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 added.

He mentioned that the proposed law introduces Section 318, which deals with interpretation and transitional provisions to guide the implementation of the state police framework, along with other important amendments.

Mr Kalu also revealed that the Senate included eight additional clauses with minor changes. The House committee will check these before making recommendations to the House.

"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," he said.

Why the House Changed Its Mind on the Bill

Mr Kalu reminded everyone that before lawmakers went on break, the House passed its own Constitution Alteration Bill on state police on June 11.

But after President Tinubu sent an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, the House reversed its earlier decision on July 14. This allowed them to consider the President’s proposal.

"You may recall that on June 11, 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 July 14 to enable consideration of the Executive Bill coming from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces," he said.

The deputy speaker argued that the President, as commander-in-chief, is in a good position to start important reforms to tackle the country’s security issues.

He added that the Executive Bill has already passed the first and second readings in the House. Stakeholder meetings held during the National Assembly Open Week have also met the public hearing requirement for the legislation.

"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 me. Our responsibility is to carefully scrutinise this legislation and ensure that it reflects the aspirations and expectations of the Nigerian people," he said.

Tinubu’s Reform Agenda

Mr Kalu described the proposed state police law as one of President Tinubu’s major constitutional reform plans. He highlighted that the President has supported a multi-level policing structure since his time as governor of Lagos State.

"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," he said.

He pointed out that even though the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary work separately, all three are responsible for achieving national goals, especially in improving security.

"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 said.

Mr Kalu mentioned that the committee met on a Monday, outside the usual legislative schedule, due to the urgency of the proposed constitutional amendment.

"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," he said.

He also expressed confidence that the House and Senate would finish work on the legislation smoothly before sending it to President Tinubu for approval.

"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," the deputy speaker stated.

The Executive Bill aims to amend the Constitution to create a multi-tier policing system. This will let states set up and run their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force. It is part of broader efforts to tackle the rising insecurity in the country.