The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, presented a draft copy of the Police Service Commission Bill which proposes the creation of state offices for the commission to take public complaints and investigate allegations against men of the Nigeria Police Force.
The House is also proposing that Special Units of the NPF to be created by the Inspector-General of Police are scrutinized and approved by the PSC.
The commission, which is expected to have more stakeholders on its board, will also be empowered to set up panels to investigate policemen and recommend them for sanctions or prosecution.
A draft of the Police Service Commission (Reform) Bill 2020, was presented at the Public Policy Dialogue Series organized by the House Committee on Implementation and Monitoring of the Legislative Agenda in Abuja.
According to the House, the draft is to allow critical stakeholders to be involved in the preparation of the bill, ahead of its presentation.
At the event were the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; Minority Leader, Ndudu Elumelu; Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs, Usman Kumo; and Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Onofiok Luke.
Stakeholders at the event include Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, represented by Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Research and Planning, Olusola Adeleye; Chairman, PSC, Musiliu Smith, represented by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi; President, Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata; and Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu.
Others are Justice Binta Nyako, representing the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court; and Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General of Ekiti State, Olawale Fapohunda; and Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme, Nigeria, Mohammed Yahya.
The DIG, speaking for the IGP, urged the House to allow the NPF to study the draft bill and make inputs.
He also said the Nigeria Police Force was making efforts at the management level to “bring back confidence.”
He said, “There is a lot of confidence-building mechanisms. Now, a major problem is a lack of confidence between the police and members of the public.”