• Governors raise observations as presidential panel finalises draft
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government is expected to transmit the National Policing Bill to the National Assembly within two weeks, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said, revealing that the draft is 90 per cent ready.
Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group on the proposed policing reforms, spoke yesterday after a meeting of its steering committee at the State House, Abuja.
He said the panel would resolve outstanding issues, including observations by state governors, before forwarding the draft to lawmakers.
“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.”
Describing the proposed legislation as “the most consequential bill of the administration so far”, Gbajabiamila said it had undergone intensive scrutiny since the steering committee began deliberations on August 3.
The bill is being considered alongside the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on state police, which seeks constitutional changes to allow states to establish their own police services.
Responding to concerns about the pace of the amendment process, including reports that only about six states had approved the proposal, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the reform enjoyed broad national support.
He said there was a national consensus on the changes and saw no reason for states to reconsider their positions.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.
The policing legislation and constitutional amendment would undergo their respective legislative processes before the reforms could be fully implemented.
Those at the meeting included Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and 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.
Others included Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (retd.); Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Prof. Olu Ogunsakin; and Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart.
Also present were the committee’s secretary and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association president; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser.