Policing Bill 90% Ready For Transmission To NASS — Gbajabiamila

“90% ready for transmission” means the Presidential Working Group believes the bill is nearly finished as a draft. It has not yet been sent to the National Assembly, debated, or passed. The phrase describes preparation, not legal approval.

The group expects one more meeting to check the details and ensure every area is covered. Governors still have one or two observations. Chairman Femi Gbajabiamila said the bill could be ready in about a week, while the group also indicated transmission within two weeks.

After transmission, the National Assembly would have to consider the bill through its legislative process. The article does not give a timetable for debate or passage. It calls the proposal the administration’s “most consequential Bill so far,” showing the importance officials attach to it.

The National Policing Bill is a proposed piece of legislation intended to shape policing in Nigeria. The article does not define its clauses or explain its full structure. Based on the name and context, it is being developed as part of a broader policing reform effort.

The state-police proposal is treated separately in the article. It refers to the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill, identified as “State Police.” That amendment would address the constitutional question of allowing state-level police arrangements. The National Policing Bill would therefore be connected politically and practically, but the two measures are not described as the same text.

Their progress is being discussed by the Presidential Working Group, governors, and security officials. The bill was nearly ready for transmission, while only about six states had reportedly approved the constitutional amendment. Both steps would need further action before the proposed reform could take effect.

The article reports that only about six states had passed the constitutional amendment connected with State Police. Nigeria has 36 states, and the report also mentions the Federal Capital Territory. This means approval had been recorded in a small minority of the states involved.

The figure matters because constitutional amendments require state-level participation. The article presents the number as a concern when discussing whether states might delay the process. It does not name the six states or provide a precise, independently verified count.

Femi Gbajabiamila nevertheless said there was a “national consensus” among Nigerians on the need for the amendments. He said he saw no reason for anyone to rethink the proposal. The amendment process therefore remained incomplete, even as the federal policing bill approached transmission.

The Presidential Working Group is coordinating the draft and preparing it for transmission. Its steering committee has held deliberations since August 3. Femi Gbajabiamila chairs the group and reports on its readiness. Governors participate by raising observations and by helping move the constitutional amendment through their states.

The National Assembly’s role begins when the bill is transmitted. It must examine, debate, and vote on the proposed legislation. For the State Police proposal, state legislatures have a separate role in approving the constitutional alteration. The article does not describe every procedural stage or voting requirement.

The President’s administration initiated and supports the process through the working group. The President does not unilaterally turn the proposal into law. Passage depends on legislative action, while the constitutional amendment also depends on sufficient state approval. The article says the bill may be transmitted within two weeks.

If both measures were approved, Nigeria’s policing system could include a constitutionally recognized state-police arrangement alongside national policing institutions. That would change policing from a solely national model toward a structure with greater state-level responsibility. The article does not specify the powers, funding, command rules, or safeguards.

The key mechanism is the combination of two legal steps. The National Policing Bill would first be considered by the National Assembly. Separately, the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill would need approval through the states. The constitutional measure is important because it concerns State Police directly.

The immediate reality is that neither outcome has been completed in the article. The National Policing Bill was described as 90% ready for transmission, while only about six states had reportedly passed the amendment. If both processes advance, lawmakers and states would still determine the final system’s details.

Nigeria’s existing policing arrangement is centered on the Nigeria Police Force, a national institution. That point is established background knowledge rather than a detail explained in this article. The proposed State Police model would create policing bodies connected to individual states, instead of relying only on the national force.

The practical difference would be who organizes, directs, and answers for local policing. Under the current national model, policing is nationally structured. Under a state-police model, state authorities would have a formal policing role. The exact division of powers, recruitment rules, funding, and oversight are not provided in the article.

The reform is still proposed, not operational. The National Policing Bill was nearly ready for transmission, while the constitutional amendment had reportedly passed in only about six states. Those steps would need to progress before any new state-level system could be established.

A constitutional amendment is needed when a proposed institution or power does not fit within the existing constitutional arrangement. The article identifies the relevant proposal as the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill, titled State Police. That indicates the change is more fundamental than passing an ordinary policing statute.

The amendment process also shows that states matter directly. The article reports that only about six states had passed the amendment out of the 36 states and the FCT. Governors were discussing the proposal, and Gbajabiamila addressed the possibility of states delaying approval. The constitutional route therefore requires participation beyond the federal executive.

This reveals a divided system of authority. The President’s administration and the National Assembly are advancing the national bill, but state approval is needed for the constitutional change. The article does not describe the precise legal allocation of policing powers, only that State Police requires this separate amendment process.