State Assembly Speakers Call For Community Policing

Speakers of State Assemblies across the nation on Saturday asked the Federal Government to consider restructuring the country’s security architecture.

The lawmakers made the request at the end of a general meeting of the conference of speakers of state legislatures of Nigeria held at the Hazibal event centre in Bauchi city.

Policing is federally controlled in Nigeria but amid growing insecurity, several voices have called for a review of the current arrangement.

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“The Conference decries the spate of insecurity in the country,” a communique released at the end of the meeting said.

“And while commending the Federal Government on its efforts at fighting the insecurity in the country, the Conference calls on the Federal Government to tinker with the security architecture in the country to reflect the demographic reality of our country.

“In other words, the Conference advocates for Community Policing as a way out of the problems.”

Read the full communique below:

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE GENERAL MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS OF STATE LEGISLATURES OF NIGERIA HELD AT HAZIBAL EVENT CENTER, BAUCHI, BAUCHI STATE.

DATE: 27 MARCH, 2021

Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria held a general meeting on the Saturday 27th March, 2021 in Bauchi, Bauchi State. Thirty States were represented in the meeting.

The Conference was divided into two sessions: Technical Session and Conference General Meeting:

1. Technical Session: The Technical Session was attended by the Rt Hon Speakers, one Hon Member each from State Houses of Assembly, and the Clerks of the Assemblies. Presentations were made by three Resource Persons on relevant topics

2. General Meeting: The Genera Meeting of the Conference was exclusive to the Rt Hon Speakers only or their representatives (ie the Deputy Speakers). The Conference deliberated on a range of issues, the major of which is the “insecurity in the Country and Ways Forward”.

After exhaustive deliberation, the Conference issued the following resolutions at the end of the meeting:

i. The Conference expressed appreciation to the Executive Governor of Bauchi State His Excellency Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed for his warm reception extended to the Members of the Conference during their stay in the State for the Conference general meeting from 26th to 28h March, 2021.

ii. The Conference set up Constitutional Review Committee. The Terms of Reference of the Committee include articulating and submittion of the inputs of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

iii. That all the State Houses of Assembly should ensure to pass the Funds Management Bill in their respective State Houses of Assembly for effective implementation of the Financial Autonomy for the State Legislature and Judiciary:

iv. The Conference decries the spate of insecurity in the Country; and while commending the Federal Government on its efforts at fighting the insecurity in the Country, the Conference calls on the Federal Government to tinker with the security architecture in the country to reflect the demographic reality of our country. In other words, the Conference advocates for Community Policing as a way out of the problems; ·

v. That Conference appeals to PASAN to exercise restraint on its struggle; meanwhile Committee has been set up to engage the Association with a view to resolving the lingering issues that led to the industrial action.

Rt Hon Abubakar Y. Suleiman

Chairman