The Chairman of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Monday assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will sign the State Police bill into law with the speed of light.

Kalu expressed the optimism during the opening of the Constitution Review on the sixth alteration of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides for the establishment of State Police Services and for related matters.

According to him, the Special Ad-hoc Committee during the meeting is to consider the proposed 26 clauses in the executive bill on a clause-by-clause basis and make appropriate recommendations to the House.

They are: Sections 84(4), 89(2), 121(3b) by inserting a new subsection (3c), 124(4), 129(2), 153(1), 157(2), 158(1), 160 by inserting immediately after subsection (2) a new subsection (3), 197(1), 201(2) and 204, Chapter VI Part III of the 1999 Constitution, deletion and substitution of Section 214, 215, 216, Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, Part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, Part III of the 1999 Constitution, Part III of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, and Section 318(1), respectively.

Kalu, who also serves as the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, applauded the President’s resolve towards the actualisation of multiple layers of policing since his days as Lagos State Governor.

He said: “You may recall that on the 11th of June, 2006, the House considered a pass for its constitutional alteration bill. However, following the introduction of an executive bill by the President, that decision was rescinded by the House on the 14th of July to enable consideration of the executive bill, especially coming from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and this particular bill having to do with security.

“And no better source to prepare a bill that has all the elements that will help him secure the lives and properties of the citizens of this country than the Commander-in-Chief himself. And we had the First Reading and the Second Reading done, but we also had, during the week.

“So, we have had a lot of good, like, an engagement, like, public hearing on this issue. So, fulfilling all the nine yards that had to do with lawmaking.”

According to him, the Special Ad-hoc Committee’s job is to go through this and see how to make this law a reflection of the desire of the Nigerian people. “I must emphasize that the State Police bill remains one of the signature constitutional reform initiatives of His Excellency President Bola Tinubu, because you know the police structure in this country, he was one of the first people who as a State Governor, always advocated for multiple layer policing as a strategic tool towards ending insecurity in Nigeria.

“And now, being the President and also championing this bill, goes a long way to prove that he is practising what he preached. And as we have always argued, debated, presented, that though we are three arms of government, we are one government. If there is a national objective, all we do is to queue into it, especially when that national objective is for the interests of the people.

“And this time around, there is a national consensus that security needs to be on the front burner. The executive is giving it on the front burner. You and I, who are from the legislature, we are here today not because it’s convenient for us to be here. We start our parliamentary days from Tuesday. But we are here because duty calls and time is of the essence. And we are joining hands with the executive to make sure that this collaboration will yield a successful passage of this prioritised item in our constitutional amendment process.

“Let me also bring you up to speed historically that the House and the Senate are working in tandem with each other to make sure that this significant amendment is achieved, and I am sure that with the speed of light, when it gets back to the executive, that is going to be assented to quickly.”

While acknowledging that the Senate has already considered and adopted the executive bill, including amendments, he disclosed that the Senate report will “serve as the committee’s working document. That is what we are going to be using for this engagement we are going to have today.

“On the clause-by-clause consideration of the executive bill it is substantially similar to what we have done separately with a little adjustment here and there.”

As earlier reported by Nigerian Tribune, the report of the Special Ad-hoc Committee may be presented on the floor of the House during Tuesday’s plenary for further legislative action.

According to Clause 14, which seeks to alter Section 204(1a) of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate bill provides that: “Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the State Police Service Commission may, without the approval or control of the Governor, make rules regulating its own procedure or conferring powers and imposing duties on any officer or authority for the purpose of discharging its functions under this Constitution, an Act of the National Assembly or a law of the State House of Assembly.”

The Senate also altered Clause 214(14), which states that “The legality, scope, duration and conduct of an intervention under this section shall be subject to judicial review, and no intervention shall dissolve a state police.”

The Senate also approved a new Clause 214(15), which provides that: “Whenever and wherever an intervention under this subsection 10 of this section is invoked, the State Police Service shall be subordinated to the Federal Police Service until after the expiration of the situation that warranted the intervention.”

As indicated in Clause 215(5) of the bill under consideration, the Senate approved that the state police shall be headed by a Commander of Police instead of a Commissioner of Police as proposed by the executive.

Clause 27 of the executive bill, which seeks to alter the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, was deleted and replaced with a new provision stipulating members of the National Police Council.

With the new amendment by the Senate, the President is to be the Chairman of the National Police Council, while other members are: Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, Governors of the 36 States of the Federation, Attorney General of the Federation, Chairman of the Federal Police Service Commission, Inspector General of Police, representatives of the National Human Rights Commission, Public Complaints Commission, and the Secretary to the Council, to be appointed by the President. (Nigerian Tribune)

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