Walkout rocks House as state police bill passes

Nigeria's House of Representatives has approved a Constitution Alteration Bill to establish state police forces, a move intended to decentralize law enforcement and bolster national security. The vote occurred despite a protest and walkout by members of the minority caucus, who argued that the bill's legal framework required further refinement and that the constitutional amendment process was not followed correctly.

The bill, titled "A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the establishment of state police services and for related matters," secured the necessary two-thirds majority. President Bola Tinubu had transmitted the executive bill as part of his administration's strategy to address persistent insecurity across the country.

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This bill is not merely about creating another policing institution. It is about bringing policing closer to the people, strengthening intelligence gathering, enhancing community policing, improving coordination among security agencies and empowering governments to respond more effectively to the complex and evolving security challenges confronting our nation.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, described the proposal as a significant reform for Nigeria's security sector. He stated that the amendment aims to bring policing closer to the people, improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing, and enable state governments to respond more effectively to security threats. Kalu acknowledged that constitutional reform is an incremental process and that the current amendment establishes only the foundation, with critical implementation issues like recruitment, training, funding, and accountability to be addressed later.

The proceedings became dramatic during the Committee of the Whole stage, deviating from the customary clause-by-clause consideration. The minority caucus's walkout underscored their objections, though the majority pushed the bill forward. If the Senate version is harmonized, approved by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, and assented to by the President, it will create the constitutional framework for state police services.

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We must not allow the pursuit of perfection to become the enemy of meaningful progress.