N’Assembly working out funding formula for state police — Kalu

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, says the National Assembly is working out a funding framework for the proposed state police, assuring Nigerians that financing will not hinder its establishment.

Kalu gave the assurance on Friday while briefing journalists in Abuja after returning from a week-long engagement at Chatham House and the London Climate Action Week in the United Kingdom.

His comments come amid concerns over the financial capacity of states to sustain separate police formations if the proposed constitutional amendment establishing state police is passed.

Addressing the funding concerns, Kalu said lawmakers were already developing mechanisms to ensure the policing system is financially sustainable.

“We are looking at how to make sure that funding will not be a problem with regard to state policing because, as you know, it is like taking some of the responsibility of the Federal Government for the states to handle,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker argued that the President Bola Tinubu-led government’s fiscal policy had significantly increased allocations to state governments, creating room for them to assume additional responsibilities.

“It is important to note that this current administration, which believes in federalism, has released more money to the states than ever before. So it wouldn’t be out of place if Mr President says, ‘I’m already sending the states a lot of money. Part of it should be used for this’,” he said

He added that the National Assembly was considering other funding options to guarantee the long-term viability of state police.

“As a parliament, we are looking at where we can get one or two things that will help funding not to become an issue. We’ll figure it out in the coming days,” he added.

Kalu disclosed that despite the National Assembly being on recess, lawmakers were continuing consultations to strengthen the legislative framework for the proposed policing system.

“In fact, that’s one of the reasons some of us are not on holiday. Even though we are on recess, we are here cracking our heads to see how we can put the bricks properly and build the wall of that legislative enactment in a way that it will be solid enough to carry the load that is going to be on it,” he said.

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Responding to concerns that governors could deploy state police to intimidate political opponents, Kalu acknowledged the fears but said the proposed constitutional amendment had been designed with safeguards to prevent abuse.

According to him, the draft legislation clearly defines the powers, duties and responsibilities of state police while prescribing national minimum standards that every state police service must meet.

“They can increase the standard for the state, but they cannot go below the national minimum standard,” he said, adding that state police would not be allowed to engage in partisan or politically motivated activities.

He further disclosed that once the constitutional amendment is passed, the National Assembly would move to repeal and re-enact the Police Act to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the operation of state police.

On the security situation in the country, Kalu dismissed claims that insecurity was deteriorating, insisting that available data indicated steady improvement.

“I argue that insecurity in our country is not deepening. It is declining. It is not increasing,” he said.

He noted that the number of local government areas previously under the control of insurgents had reduced from 17 to fewer than six, describing it as evidence of sustained military operations and government intervention.

Kalu also highlighted increased investment in the defence sector, saying budgetary allocations had risen from about ₦2.1tn to over ₦5tn under the current administration.

In his words, the National Assembly is also pursuing legislation to place defence funding on the first line charge to ensure the timely release of resources for security operations.

The Deputy Speaker said he presented these reforms during his engagements at Chatham House, where he briefed policymakers and development partners on Nigeria’s security efforts, constitutional reforms and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The push for state police has gained momentum amid persistent calls for the decentralisation of policing to improve intelligence gathering and response to local security threats.