The House of Representatives will vote on Thursday on constitutional amendments seeking to establish state police as part of efforts to tackle the country's growing insecurity. Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Prioritizing Security Reforms
Kalu stated that the House had prioritized security-related constitutional amendments, particularly the creation of state police. Lawmakers are determined to deploy legislative measures to support ongoing efforts by the executive arm of government to secure lives and property. According to him, the National Assembly has identified the current policing structure as one of the factors limiting effective responses to security threats across the country.
He noted that consultations with key stakeholders, including the Inspector-General of Police, state governors, and the executive arm, had produced broad support for the establishment of state police. “We have discovered that leaving the law as it is will not give us the expectations Nigerians have regarding the issue of insecurity. Therefore, we decided to prioritize security-related reforms through constitutional amendment, targeting policing,” Kalu explained.
Amending the Constitution
The Deputy Speaker explained that relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, including Section 214, would require amendment to accommodate the proposed state police structure. He expressed confidence that the proposal would secure the support of lawmakers during Thursday's voting session and subsequently receive the backing of state legislatures. “We are here to announce to Nigerians that hope is coming. Hope for a better response time to incidents of crime is here. We have decided that by tomorrow we will be voting on the Constitution, and in that process we will be prioritizing state police,” he said.
Kalu dismissed reports suggesting that efforts were underway to frustrate the proposal, insisting that the House remained united in its resolve to push the amendment through. “We have read a lot of things in the news that people are trying to stop it. No. The Parliament is marching forward and by tomorrow we will be concluding on this. This is what we have come to inform Nigerians that hope is here and by tomorrow state police will make it into our constitutional amendment,” he added.
Call for Lawmakers' Presence
The Deputy Speaker also called on members of the House currently on oversight assignments across the country to return to Abuja ahead of Thursday's sitting. He described the vote as critical to the nation's security architecture and urged lawmakers to be present to demonstrate the House's commitment to addressing insecurity through legislative action. Kalu expressed optimism that state governors and Houses of Assembly would support the amendment when transmitted for ratification, paving the way for presidential assent.
