Breaking: Lagos Assembly calls for Constitutional Amendment To ensure State Police

By Alao Akorede

The Federal Government should immediately sep up the necessary mechanism in place to amend the law to guaranttee state police.

Irohinoodua was informed that the Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday at its first post mandate plenary session also called on the National Assembly to commence actions that would lead to the establishment of state police.

Lagos has a population of 20million but with some 30,000 police personnel connected to the national policing grid which is riddled with bureaucracy and inefficiency.

The Lagos State Governor,Babajide Sanwo Olu was also tasked to immediately equip the Neighbourhood Safety Corps of the State so that its personnel could transform into community policing.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said the steps are imperative to strengthen democracy and Federalism in Nigeria.

He said it will also improve security of lives and property.

Obasa said attacks on communities in some states of the federation with many citizens losing their lives and belongings should be curtailed through State and Community policing.

He said he read about the killing of some residents in Plateau State. He also noted the abduction of the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr. Paul Omotoso.

He said “While I commend the ninth National Assembly for doing a lot to amend the constitution, there is a need for us to call on the 10th National Assembly to see it as a matter of urgency to make the issue of state policing a major factor of development,” Obasa said.

Supporting the Speaker, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, commended the Speaker for bringing up the issue of state policing again.

“We remember very well that it was you that sponsored the bill on Neighbourhood Safety Corps and we see what it has done for our State and how other states are copying it,” Yishawu said.

While noting that President Bola Tinubu started well with moves to rejig the economy, Hon. Yishawu said security remains at the heart of a country’s progress urging for more focus this area.

The lawmakers argued further that the establishment of state police would boost employment across the country.

Meanwhile, the House, through Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, has congratulated President Bola Tinubu over his election as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The House said it believes in Tinubu’s capacity to bring the countries under ECOWAS to work together.

At the plenary, the House also resolved a report relating to issues of legislative compliance on appointment of some Governor’s nominees without approval of the House of Assembly. The lawmakers called on the Executive arm to henceforth act in conformity with the law.