The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Friday defended the proposed State Police Bill, saying fears of possible abuse by state governors should not deprive Nigerians of the enormous security benefits the legislation seeks to provide.
Kalu, who spoke with parliamentary correspondents in Abuja after returning from a week-long engagement at Chatham House and the London Climate Action Week in the United Kingdom, said the constitutional amendment establishing state police contains adequate safeguards against abuse.
According to him, while concerns over possible political misuse of state police are legitimate, the National Assembly deliberately incorporated constitutional guardrails to prevent such excesses.
“The fear of a minor percentage of risk should not stop Nigerians from enjoying the major percentage of benefits that is found in that bill.
“Let me ask this question: How many governors have used state high courts to jail opposition members? What is the statistics out there?
“Yes, the fear is there; it is a legitimate fear. But what is more legitimate is that Nigerians should embrace the benefits of state police.
“Because of those concerns, while drafting this document, we ensured that there are clear guardrails defining the powers, duties and operational limits of state police,” he said.
Kalu explained that the constitutional amendment places policing on the Concurrent Legislative List while establishing national minimum standards that every state police organisation must comply with.
He stressed that the proposed legislation expressly prohibits state police from being deployed for partisan political activities or politically motivated conflicts.
“It is a beautiful piece of legislation that we have put together,” he added.
The Deputy Speaker disclosed that the constitutional amendment would be followed by a consequential repeal and reenactment of the Police Act to provide the legal framework for implementing state police.
“There is going to be a consequential repeal and reenactment of the Police Act because it is going to be the implementation Act of the constitutional amendment we are making now.
“This means the President will champion the repeal and reenactment of the Police Act, and it is in that Act that many of the operational details Nigerians are currently concerned about will be adequately addressed.”
On his engagements at Chatham House, Kalu said the visit provided an opportunity to present Nigeria’s democratic reforms and constitutional innovations to influential international stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said Nigeria cannot afford to isolate itself from the international community, noting that perceptions formed abroad significantly influence diplomatic, economic and investment relations.
“Nigeria is in the comity of nations; we are not an isolated nation.
“One thing with global politics is that perception is everything. If you don’t communicate and frame your narratives properly, others will frame the narratives for you.”
According to him, discussions at Chatham House focused on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections and ongoing electoral reforms aimed at strengthening credibility and transparency.
“Elections are coming, international observers will be here, documents will be flying around. We need to let the world know the level of our preparation and the innovations we have introduced into the Electoral Act to enhance credibility.”
Kalu said he explained to participants that Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act had, for the first time, made electronic transmission of election results the default legal position.
He also disclosed that the National Assembly was working towards placing funding for the nation’s defence sector on the First Line Charge to ensure timely and uninterrupted release of funds.
“We informed them that we are pushing to ensure that financing for the defence sector occupies the First Line Charge so that funding will not be delayed or subjected to interference.”
He described such international engagements as necessary to ensure that conversations about Nigeria are presented in their proper context.
“It is important to have these conversations with international bodies so that the framing of discussions around what Nigeria is doing will be in the proper perspective.”
Speaking on his participation at the London Climate Action Week, Kalu said he used the platform to attract investors to Nigeria’s climate adaptation, mitigation and energy transition programmes.
“I was there wooing investors from around the world to come and participate in Nigeria’s climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
“I also showcased our roadmap for the green economy, particularly the reforms being driven under the Ministry of Solid Minerals.
“I saw significant interest, especially regarding energy transition. Our allies, particularly the United Kingdom, expressed strong interest in what Nigeria is doing, and I am confident that we will begin to harvest the outcomes of those engagements in the coming days.”
The Deputy Speaker further urged Nigerians, especially young people, to become ambassadors of the country by promoting positive narratives while constructively criticising areas requiring improvement.
He disclosed that his London trip was privately funded by himself and some members of his team, stressing that patriotism should not always depend on government sponsorship.
“This trip was not sponsored by government. I sponsored it together with some members of my team because we believed it was time to project Nigeria positively to the world.
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“It is not always about what government can do for you; it is also about what you can do for your country.”
Kalu cautioned against using social media to portray Nigeria negatively, noting that content published online remains permanently accessible and shapes global perceptions.
“We do not have any other country but this. If we destroy its image, we become strangers wherever we go.
“We know we have challenges, and we should criticise constructively, but we must also tell the positive stories. Leadership will come and go, but you will remain a Nigerian for life.
“When I spoke at Chatham House, I made it clear that we did not come to say Nigeria has arrived. We are only 27 years into our democracy, while many countries we are compared with have over 200 years of democratic experience.
“If we are patient and continue building our institutions, we will get it right. Let us keep Nigeria first in the way we project our country to the world because the narratives we create are being leveraged internationally to define who we are.”
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