…Hail National Assembly, Pledge Thorough Legislative Review
By Jeremy Fregene
The Conference of Speakers of the 36 State Legislatures of Nigeria has thrown its weight behind the proposed establishment of state police, signalling that the constitutional amendment seeking to decentralise policing may enjoy broad support at the state level as it moves through the final phase of the amendment process.
Chairman of the Conference and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor, described the passage of the bill by both chambers of the National Assembly as a major milestone in Nigeria’s quest to reform its security architecture and deepen true federalism.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Asaba, Guwor said state legislatures had consistently advocated community-based policing as a practical response to the country’s growing security challenges, noting that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, enhance rapid response, and address peculiar security concerns at the grassroots.
“Nigerians deserve a policing structure that understands the local terrain and evolving security realities,” he stated.
The Conference assured that the bill would receive diligent and objective consideration in all state houses of assembly as required under the constitutional amendment process.
Guwor said the Speakers would engage critical stakeholders and, where necessary, organise public hearings before taking formal positions on the legislation, stressing that the process would be transparent and inclusive.
He commended the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, for advancing the landmark proposal and urged all stakeholders to sustain constructive engagement to ensure successful implementation of the reform.
The Conference also reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant institutions to strengthen security, improve governance and promote a policing system better suited to Nigeria’s federal structure.
The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for State Police and Related Matters, 2026,” following clause-by-clause consideration.
The legislation seeks to empower states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force. The House of Representatives had earlier passed the bill on June 11.
For the amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must now secure the approval of at least 24 of the 36 state houses of assembly before being transmitted for presidential assent. The Conference’s endorsement is therefore seen as an important boost to the bill’s prospects of clearing the final constitutional hurdle.