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Senate leader details safeguards for state police funding to prevent political abuse

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has elaborated on measures to prevent the abuse of proposed state police services by political actors. He stated that funding for state police should be a first-line charge in the ongoing amendment to the 1999 Constitution. Bamidele, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, warned that without financial independence, state police could be exploited by businesses, cabals, criminals, and other organizations. He acknowledged public concerns about the state police bill, many of which stem from experiences during the First Republic when regional authorities established police forces under the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions. To address these concerns, Bamidele explained that the National Assembly is developing a multi-tiered safeguard focusing on personnel discipline, institutional independence, and fiscal autonomy. He emphasized the National Assembly's commitment to enshrining state police funding as a first-line charge in the country's law, similar to the judiciary. He noted that the 1999 Constitution provides for judiciary funding, allowing the Chief Justice of Nigeria to operate without needing presidential approval for every procurement, unlike ministers. This mechanism would ensure that the Commissioner of Police and State Police Service Commission have a guaranteed source of funds provided for in the 1999 Constitution, thus insulating the police chief from the influence of a state governor.