Breaking: Reps Withdraw Own State Police Bill, Take Another Action
- The House of Representatives dropped its own constitutional amendment bill on state police in favour of a version sent by the Executive
- Lawmakers gave the Executive-sponsored state police bill its first and second readings during Tuesday's plenary session
- The bill was referred to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for detailed scrutiny before returning to the floor
The House of Representatives has stepped back from its own constitutional amendment proposal on state police, choosing instead to advance a version of the bill transmitted directly by the Executive arm of government.
The decision came during Tuesday's plenary session, July 13, where the Executive-sponsored state police bill received its first and second readings on the floor of the House.
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Following those readings, the Speaker referred the bill to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for a more detailed examination of its provisions.
The withdrawal of the House's version marks a significant shift in the legislative approach to one of Nigeria's most debated governance reforms, Punch reported.
Rather than pursuing two separate bills on the same subject, the chamber opted to consolidate efforts around the Executive proposal, which will now go through the committee stage before returning to the floor for further legislative action.
State police bill heads to committee
At the committee stage, lawmakers are expected to scrutinise the bill's key provisions, which may include the structure of command and control for proposed state police forces, funding arrangements, and safeguards against potential abuse by state governors, Daily Trust reported.
The House Committee on Constitutional Review will conduct that process and report back to the full House, where members will then debate and vote on the bill's merits before it can advance further in the amendment process.
Reps react to budget issues
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the House of Representatives does not need President Bola Tinubu to appear before it to address concerns over the national budget, the chamber's Deputy Spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, said on Sunday, July 12.
Agbese made the position known during a briefing with select journalists in Abuja, days after a fractious plenary session on Wednesday, July 8, exposed deep divisions among lawmakers over how to handle budget implementation concerns, particularly those relating to constituency projects.
Source: Legit.ng
