Constitution Amendment Highlights: Devolution of Powers and State Police on the Agenda

Towards restructuring Nigeria’s governance framework, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has shed light on the objectives of the ongoing constitution amendment process.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after the inauguration of the Constitution Amendment Committee by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the Deputy Speaker emphasized that a key focus of the amendment would be the devolution of powers.

The reform aims to redistribute some responsibilities currently on the exclusive list to the concurrent list, thereby granting state governments more autonomy and authority over certain areas.

While previous amendments had already initiated this process of unbundling, state governments have yet to fully leverage the opportunities these changes offer.

This initiative represents a pivotal effort by the National Assembly to address long-standing calls for a more balanced distribution of legislative powers between the federal and state governments.

By moving certain items to the concurrent list, the amendment seeks to empower states to enact and implement policies in areas previously monopolized by the federal government, potentially leading to more responsive and tailored governance at the state level.

Kalu mentioned that with the unbundling of prisons from the exclusive list to the concurrent list, state governments would be allowed to manage correctional services.

The Constitution Amendment Committee will also be looking into the issue of state police, which has dominated discussions in recent times as a solution to the insecurity in Nigeria.

However, the Deputy Speaker emphasized that even though state police is being touted as the solution to the problem of insecurity, it must be designed in a way that state governors would not abuse it.

He added that during public, civil engagements and public hearings, the committee will get inputs from Nigerians on how they think is best way to structure some of the ideas proposed for the reforms.

The ongoing constitution amendment process is a significant step towards restructuring Nigeria’s governance framework.

The devolution of powers and the potential introduction of state police are two key highlights of this process, which, if implemented effectively, could lead to more responsive and tailored governance at the state level, ultimately benefiting the citizens of Nigeria.