Edo, Rivers, Osun, Oyo pass state police bill,.Bago pledges North-central’s full support

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has disclosed that as at the last count, four of the 36 state Houses of Assembly in the country have voted in approval of the State Police Establishment Bill.

The National Assembly had recently transmitted the bill to the state Houses of Assembly for concurrence as constitutionally required.

Speaking as the guest lecturer at the House of Representatives Press Corps’ second annual lecture and award series in Abuja, Tuesday, secretary of the panel, Nnadubem Moghalu, named the states which have approved the bill as Edo, Rivers, Osun and Oyo.

Speaking on the theme; “The Imperative for State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism,” Moghalu argued that the quality of Nigeria’s policing system “will influence whether our economic reforms produce sustained growth, and whether that growth improves lives.”

He added that the country’s security needs differ greatly from one community to another. “Policing a dense commercial district requires different knowledge than policing a rural transport corridor,” he said.

Also speaking as an award recipient, Niger state governor, Umar Bago, who was represented by the National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives  Congress (APC, North Central), Muazu Bawa, assured that all state Houses of Assembly in the region will vote in approval of the bill.

The states include Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau.

“When we look at the rate of crime and insecurity in Nigeria, it becomes clear that there is a need for a more effective security architecture that can respond to the peculiar challenges of our communities.

“We in Niger State and across the north central would love to see State Police become a reality in Nigeria. Based on the problems we face, everything happens in our communities and cities. This is why we believe there is a need to bring policing closer to the people,” he said.

Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi in his remarks said “the media and the press have a duty to steer critical conversations about national progress away from partisan considerations.”

Earlier in their separate remarks, Chairman of FCT Council of the NUJ, Grace Ike, and Chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Gboyega Onadiran said the event was the media’s intervention to broaden the conversation on the state police establishment bill.