Constitution review: Reps’ panel dumps state police






The Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives has voted against altering a clause seeking provisions for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.



The panel at its resumed public hearing to adopt each of the alteration Bills seeking further amendment to the nation’s constitution on Wednesday, saw majority of its members kicking against the proposal.


The legislative concerned Bill, which also proposed amendment to the Police Act said the name from Nigeria Police Force (NPF), should be simply, the Nigeria Police, as the proponents argued that police personel would be more discipline and civil in dealing with the public, without the “Force”, which create some military perception in the organisation.


Clauses two to seven of the proposed amendment  deals with human rights related issues, and also spelt out punitive measures to erring police personel, while the pane under the leadership of Deputy Speaker Idris Wase, proposed the incorporation of the  Nigeria Securities and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC as a constitutional body with constitutional status.



The NSCDC under its extant establishment Act, as passed by the National Assembly, had no constitutional backing, a development the committee said necessitated the need to amend the relevant sections of the constitution to accord it constitutional status for effective service delivery.



The clause-by-clause consideration of the constitution alteration Bill resumed on Tuesday, with Wase appealing to members on dedication in order to meet with its timeline of transmitting same to State Houses of Assembly for endorsement within its end of February deadline.