Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has made case for the passage of the Police Service Reform Bill aimed at amending the Police Act of 1943.
The Bill was proposed as an Act of the National Assembly on May 30, 2018, and was passed by the Senate on April 17, 2019, while the House of Representatives is expected to consider and pass to the president for assent before the end of the 8th National Assembly.
Speaking during a Police Service Reform Bill sensitisation workshop organised by Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption incollaboration with Nigerian Policing Programme (NPP), Civil Society Legislative Centre (CISLAC), Thursday in Abuja, he said the Bill was a step in the right direction.
According to him, “The society is dynamic and laws are supposed to be reviewed to reflect the dynamism of the society. If the Police that is said to be policing our democracy are operating on a law that was made in 1934 brings a lot to mind.
“It is a step in the right direction to review the Act. We are aware that a lot in the Bill needs attention. Police made presentation during the public hearing in 2018 though some recommendations made were taken while others were not. We know that there will be room for amendment especially since the House of Representatives are still working on it.”
He commended the National Assembly for considering the Police Trust Fund Bill alongside the Reform Bill and expressed the hope that the issue of funding which has become perennial is adequately addressed.
Earlier, the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Lawal Abubakar, said some provisions of the Bill as passed by the Senate were inconsistent with the constitution.
