Nigeria’s proposed National Policing Bill is nearing completion, with the Presidency saying it is about 90 per cent ready.
The bill could reach the National Assembly within two weeks, as officials work to address the remaining concerns.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, disclosed this on Thursday after a steering committee meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group, said the team needed another meeting to review the final details before submitting the bill.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready,” he said.
He added that state governors had raised a few concerns that the committee was still reviewing.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so.”
According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Gbajabiamila described the proposal as
“the most consequential Bill of the administration so far”.
He said the working group had spent several weeks reviewing the proposal, Its steering committee began deliberations on August 3.
The meeting also considered progress on the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill, which seeks to establish state police.
Reports indicated that only about six states had passed the amendment out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
However, Gbajabiamila said there was broad public support for the proposed changes.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he added.
The meeting included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, and other government officials also attended.
Representatives from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, National Assembly liaison office and other institutions were present.
The National Policing Bill is expected to undergo further review before transmission to the National Assembly.
