The Presidential Working Group on policing reforms says the proposed National Policing Bill is nearing completion and is expected to be forwarded to the National Assembly within the next two weeks.
Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the working group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday after a meeting of the group’s steering committee at the State House in Abuja.
Gbajabiamila said the bill was about 90 per cent ready, with only a few outstanding issues requiring attention before it could be transmitted to the legislature.
He explained that another meeting might be held to review the remaining details and address observations raised by state governors.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly,” he said, according to a statement issued by the Presidency.
He added that the committee expected to conclude its work within approximately one week.
In the statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Gbajabiamila described the proposed legislation as one of the most significant bills of the administration.
He said the committee had devoted considerable time to examining the proposal since its steering committee began deliberations on August 3.
The presidential aide also expressed confidence in the proposed constitutional amendments to establish state police, insisting that there was broad national support for the initiative.
His comments came amid reports that only about six states had approved the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on state police out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” Gbajabiamila said, expressing optimism about the proposed reforms.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan 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.
Other participants included the chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, retired Justice Abdullahi Liman; Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Olu Ogunsakin; and the President’s Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Lanre Smart.
Also present were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and committee secretary, Nnadubem Moghalu; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser.
