From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The National Policing Bill is 90 per cent ready for transmission to the National Assembly, with the Federal Government expected to forward the proposed legislation to lawmakers within two weeks, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said.
Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group on the proposed policing reforms, disclosed this on Thursday after a meeting of the group’s steering committee at the State House, Abuja.
He said the committee was nearing the completion of its deliberations, with another meeting expected to address outstanding issues before the bill is transmitted to the legislature.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90 per cent ready,” he said.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” he added.
The announcement signals progress in the administration’s efforts to advance a new legal framework for policing, amid continuing discussions on constitutional amendments to enable states to establish their own police services.
Gbajabiamila described the proposed legislation as “the most consequential bill of the administration so far”, underscoring the significance the working group attaches to the reform process.
According to him, the bill has undergone intensive scrutiny over the past several weeks, following the commencement of deliberations by the working group’s steering committee on 3 August.
The committee is expected to resolve the remaining observations, including those raised by state governors, before finalising the draft for transmission to the National Assembly.
The proposed National Policing Bill is being considered alongside the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on state police, which would require constitutional amendment to permit states to establish their own police structures.
Responding to concerns about the pace of the constitutional amendment process, particularly reports that only about six states had approved the proposal out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the reform enjoyed broad national support.
He said he saw no reason for states to reconsider their positions on the proposed amendment, arguing that there was a national consensus on the need for the changes.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.
His remarks come as attention shifts to the legislative and constitutional steps required to translate the proposed policing reforms into law.
While the National Policing Bill is expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks, the constitutional amendment process remains a separate requirement for the establishment of state police.
The two processes would therefore need to advance through their respective legislative procedures before the proposed changes can be fully implemented.
Those present at Thursday’s meeting included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Other participants included the Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (retd); Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; and Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart.
Also in attendance were Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and Secretary of the committee, Nnadubem Moghalu; a representative of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser, among others.
The working group is expected to conclude its outstanding deliberations before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly for consideration.
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