Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to deliver a speech on the issue of state police at a national dialogue organized by the House of Representatives on Monday in Abuja.
Musa Krishi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, made this announcement in a statement on Sunday.
The national dialogue, aimed at addressing pressing security concerns, was initially proposed by Speaker Abbas in January.
The summit intends to propose comprehensive recommendations and concrete legislative interventions to tackle the country’s security challenges.
In response to the escalating insecurity in the nation, the federal government established a committee on February 15 to explore the establishment of state police.
Subsequently, the House of Representatives passed a bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and 14 others, for the second reading, seeking to transfer the term “police” in the 1999 constitution from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
Krishi revealed that the national dialogue will bring together top government officials, representatives from the international community, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders to discuss the decentralization of the current unitary national police force.
The keynote address will be delivered by Speaker Abbas, with special remarks from former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Distinguished speakers at the event include Richard Montgomery, British High Commissioner to Nigeria; Annette Gunter, German Ambassador to Nigeria; Elsie Attafuah, Country Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and Clement Nwankwo of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Others slated to speak include George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President; Godswill Akpabio, Senate President; Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of Police Affairs; Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police (IGP); and Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Governor of Kwara and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
The dialogue, themed “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria,” will take place at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
