Reps hold public hearing on bill seeking reform of Nigerian police

The House of Representatives on Thursday held a public hearing on the Police Service Commission Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2020 and the National Institute for Policy Studies (Establishment) Bill 2020.

The lawmakers proposed various sweeping reforms in order to restore sanity to the police system at the public hearing attended by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi; Chairman of PSC, Musiliu Smith; Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; and representatives of the service chiefs.

The sponsor of the bill, Yusuf Gagdi, said the proposal would address the issue of gender disparity in the appointment of the IGP.

He said: “There are issues of gender bias in the former Police Act, where a woman can’t rise to the position of Commissioner of Police let alone attaining the position of the Inspector-General of Police. In terms of recruitment, the restriction of women is quite obvious but the same Police Act addressed those disparities.

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“If the Nigerian people have been the beneficiary of those adjustments in the various angles that talked about fundamental human rights of Nigerians and equally, the police themselves are beneficiary of that Police Act in terms of their welfare.”

The lawmaker said the appointment of an IGP should be limited to four years.

He added: “We need police reforms. From 1999 to date, we have about 11 to 12 IGPs. Some served for seven months, some one year. How can you reform the institution when you have the person to superintendent over that institution serving only seven months?

“The initiatives of the other (previous) person will be thrown away. He will start his police reform differently and that is why Nigerians, through the National Assembly, allocate a tenure of office to the IGP so that he will have the time to carry out reforms.”

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