State Police: Publish the bill before seeking public input
By Okechukwu Nwanguma
The announcement that the Presidential Working Group on the proposed National Policing Bill is inviting Nigerians to submit memoranda and policy proposals is a welcome acknowledgment that public participation matters.
However, meaningful participation requires informed participation.
How can Nigerians submit useful memoranda on a bill they have not seen? Public consultation should begin with the publication of the draft legislation. Without access to the text, citizens are left to speculate about its contents, making genuine engagement virtually impossible.
If the Working Group truly seeks informed contributions, it should immediately publish the draft National Policing Bill and any proposed constitutional amendments. Nigerians—including state governments, civil society organisations, professional associations, legal practitioners, academics, traditional institutions, and the general public—should be given adequate time to study the proposals before submitting comments.
This is particularly important because the creation of state police represents one of the most significant constitutional and institutional reforms since the return to democratic rule. It will redefine policing powers, federal-state relations, accountability mechanisms, funding arrangements, and safeguards against abuse.
Transparency should not be an afterthought. It should be the foundation of the process.
The National Assembly also has a constitutional responsibility to ensure robust public participation through the publication of the bill, invitations for written memoranda, and open public hearings before any final legislative action.
The question is straightforward: Where is the Bill?
If Nigerians are expected to make informed recommendations, they must first be allowed to read what is being proposed in their name. Public consultation without public access to the draft legislation is consultation in form rather than in substance
