National Policing Bill 90% Ready, Set for Assembly Transmission Within Two Weeks — Gbajabiamila

The Presidential Working Group on police reform says the proposed National Policing Bill is 90 per cent ready and will be transmitted to the National Assembly within the next two weeks.

Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila said the committee had made significant progress on the bill, adding that another meeting might be held to address outstanding issues before the document is forwarded to the legislature.

He noted that state governors had raised a few observations that needed to be considered before the bill could be finalised.

“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly,” he said, expressing optimism that the remaining work would be completed within a week or so.

The Chief of Staff described the proposed legislation as the most consequential bill of the Tinubu administration so far, noting that the working group had been engaged in intensive deliberations since its steering committee began work on August 3.

On concerns that some states might delay the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill, which seeks to establish state police, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the proposed reform enjoyed broad national support.

His remarks followed reports that only about six states out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had passed the constitutional amendment.

According to him, there is a national consensus on the need for the constitutional amendments to strengthen policing in the country.

“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.

The steering committee meeting was attended by Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.

Also represented was the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, through the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba.

Other participants included retired Justice Abdullahi Liman, Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee; Professor Olu Ogunsakin, Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat; and Dr Lanre Smart, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).

The meeting also featured Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu, who serves as secretary of the committee; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser.

The proposed National Policing Bill and the constitutional amendment on state police form part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing framework and strengthen security administration across the country.