The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed that the National Assembly will pass the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police this week. Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, described the security reform as long overdue considering the current security challenges facing the country. He made the disclosure during an interview, where he also explained the decision of the Senate to reject calls for a public probe into military spending and addressed various legislative matters.
Addressing the refusal of the Senate to entertain a motion probing financial releases to the military, the Senate Leader stated that a public probe in the middle of an unconventional war would be counterproductive. He noted that the Nigerian military is putting in its best efforts under highly difficult circumstances against an enemy that has transitioned from conventional combat to guerrilla tactics. He stated, "When that motion came before the Senate, the question before us was whether we wanted to put our own military on trial in the middle of a war." Bamidele argued that putting the military on trial during an active conflict would be unpatriotic and a dangerous mismanagement of a sensitive national security situation. He maintained that it is an established principle not to interrogate the cost of a war until it is concluded, adding that the Senate already has active standing committees on the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Defence that perform necessary oversight functions privately.
Bamidele assured the public that significant progress is being made against迅速 insurgents, explaining that the recent spike in attacks reflects the frustration of terrorists who are taking heavy casualties. On the issue of complaints from lawmakers who lost their return tickets during party primaries, the Senate Leader clarified that it is standard parliamentary practice for the Senate President to congratulate winners and acknowledge grievances. He stated that the leadership acted on behalf of their colleagues by channeling those concerns to the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, the state governors, and the President, with the party appeals committee subsequently making recommendations.
Regarding the state police bill, the lawmaker explained that intensive consultations have taken place over the past week involving the constitutional review committees of both chambers, the Office of the Attorney General, the Chief of Staff to the President, and the Inspector General of Police. He revealed that the National Assembly resolved to isolate the state police amendment from the broader constitutional review agenda to accelerate its passage. Once passed, the bill will be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, requiring approval from two thirds of them before moving to the President for assent. He added that the President and most state governors are fully supportive of the move.
Bamidele strongly defended the Tenth Assembly against the label of being a rubber stamp for the executive arm. He explained that the legislature prefers to resolve disagreements with the executive through private consultations and rigorous pre-legislative meetings rather than staging dramatic confrontations on the floor. He remarked, "The difference between the 10th Assembly and some previous assemblies is that we chose to resolve our disagreements privately rather than perform them publicly." He also defended the recent amendment to the Senate standing rules regarding the ranking system, noting it aligns with global parliamentary traditions where legislative experience determines priority and participation. He noted that he successfully sponsored a motion to nullify parts of the amendment that conflicted with the Constitution, including a provision concerning the leadership contest parameters.
Commenting on the accountability of funds and the public outcry over legislative allowances, the Senate Leader advocated for the comprehensive publication of all remuneration received by public officeholders. He stated that transparency would dispel public misconceptions, clarifying that lawmakers do not fix their own salaries, which are determined by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. He also clarified that the vehicles allocated to lawmakers are official tools for constituency duties rather than personal properties.
Reviewing the track record of the Tenth Senate, Bamidele listed the passage of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund Act, the creation of the Ministry of Livestock, and the tax reform bills as key interventions to cushion economic hardship. He mentioned his personal legislative contributions, noting he has sponsored over 70 bills, including those establishing six federal institutions and the bill that restored the original national anthem of the country. He described the lowest point of the current assembly as the period of internal friction and public controversy surrounding the suspension of a senator, which temporarily distracted from legislative governance.
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