The Senate has clarified that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was left out of the proposed state police system because it does not have a governor or a State House of Assembly.
The Senate explained that the FCT continues to operate directly under the Federal Government.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, made this clarification on Friday during an interview with Saturday PUNCH, following questions about why the FCT was excluded from the constitutional provisions for the creation of state police.
Adaramodu explained that the administrative arrangement of the FCT differs significantly from that of Nigeria’s 36 states. He noted that the territory is administered by a minister who functions under the Federal Executive Council.
The Ekiti lawmaker further pointed out that legislative authority over the FCT rests with the National Assembly, unlike the states, which have elected governors and Houses of Assembly.
He said, “I have heard many people raise a lot of questions on why the Federal Capital Territory is not among the plan for state police. The FCT issue is different. It is under the Federal Government.
“Again, the FCT does not have a governor. It is run by a minister who subscribes to the Federal Executive Council. It is from this FEC that the FCT takes directives and its administrative relevance.
“So, the federal capital does not have an assembly. It is the National Assembly that legislates for the FCT. This is why it can’t be different from what the Federal Government does. Therefore, the federal police are in charge.”
The clarification comes amid Federal Government efforts to introduce a new policing structure in response to increasing demands for decentralised policing and constitutional recognition of state police.
The Presidency had earlier announced that President Bola Tinubu was scheduled to receive the draft Executive National Policing Bill on September 3 as part of measures aimed at reforming Nigeria’s policing system.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, disclosed this after the group met at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He also announced the launch of a public information portal where Nigerians can submit memoranda and position papers to contribute to the proposed legislation before it is considered by the President and subsequently forwarded to the National Assembly.
While the constitutional amendments establish the legal basis for state police, the Executive Bill is expected to outline the practical and operational structure for implementing the new policing system.
However, the proposed arrangement has sparked discussions over how state police would be funded and administered.
Under the constitutional amendments, State Houses of Assembly would be empowered to enact laws covering the establishment, organisation, administration, financing and oversight of state police forces.
The framework assigns the main financial responsibility to state governments, while permitting them to receive grants or other forms of assistance from the Federal Government.
A proposed new Section 216A provides that the Federal Government may offer grants or aid to state police based on the recommendation of the National Police Council, subject to approval by the National Assembly.
However, the provision does not establish a minimum federal financial contribution, a specific funding formula or a guaranteed source of revenue for state police.
Consequently, states would bear the bulk of the cost of maintaining their police forces, while federal support would be dependent on a recommendation from the National Police Council and approval by the National Assembly.
The National Police Council, chaired by the President and comprising other senior officials from both the Federal and state governments, would therefore play a significant role in determining the nature of federal financial assistance to state police once the proposed system takes effect.
According to Adaramodu, the FCT would not participate in this arrangement under the current constitutional structure because it is administered directly by the Federal Government and lacks the institutional framework that exists in the states.
As the proposed state police system undergoes further harmonisation and legislative consideration, policing in the FCT is expected to remain closely linked to its distinctive constitutional and administrative structure.
