Reps pick date for voting on creation of State Police

The Senate on Wednesday commenced legislative action to expand Nigeria’s federal judiciary, giving second reading to two bills aimed at increasing the number of judges at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal to address mounting case backlogs and delays in justice delivery.

This followed the consideration of a Bill for an Act to amend the Federal High Court Act to increase the number of its judges, and a Bill for an Act to amend the Court of Appeal Act, to among other things, increase the number of justices of the court from 70 to 110, provide for the integration of virtual court proceedings.

Leading debate on the bill to amend the Federal High Court Act, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the proposal had become necessary due to the rapid expansion of the court’s jurisdiction and the exponential growth in cases before it.

He told lawmakers that the Federal High Court now exercises exclusive jurisdiction over critical areas including revenue and taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption cases, terrorism financing, oil and gas disputes, and election-related matters.

“Over the years, the volume of cases before the Federal High Court has increased exponentially. The statutory number of judges has remained inadequate relative to the demands placed on the court,” Bamidele said.

The Senate subsequently granted the bill second reading.

The upper chamber also considered a bill to amend the Court of Appeal Act, Cap C36, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Presenting the bill, Bamidele explained that it seeks to increase the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110, and to provide for the integration of virtual court proceedings.

Lawmakers noted that the proposed increase in judicial personnel, combined with the adoption of technology-driven proceedings, is expected to reduce delays in hearing appeals and improve access to justice nationwide.

Following deliberations, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred both bills to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters with a mandate to report back to the chamber within four weeks.

If passed and signed into law, the bills would mark one of the most significant expansions of Nigeria’s federal judiciary in recent years.

Legal practitioners, business groups and civil society organisations have repeatedly called for reforms to address judicial congestion, which they say contributes to prolonged commercial disputes, criminal trials and election petitions.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has picked 11th Thursday (today) June, as the date to vote on a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish State Police in Nigeria.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Kalu, made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

He charged all lawmakers to attend Thursday’s plenary to participate in the vote.

According to the lawmaker, the move is part of measures to address rising insecurity in the country. Kalu explained during the press briefing that the House has decided to prioritise the issue of state police ahead of other bills.

He said the House has directed all members who are currently out of Abuja for oversight to suspend such and return to the parliament on Thursday for the voting procedure.

The House bill on State Police is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker and 14 other members of the House.

Recall that the Presidency had last Thursday said significant progress had been made towards the establishment of state police in Nigeria.

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the constitutional amendments required for the implementation of state police were expected soon.

Gbajabiamila spoke after a consultative meeting on state police convened by the Presidency at the State House, Abuja.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Gbajabiamila said discussions on the state police framework began several months ago following a directive by President Tinubu.

He said the process had now reached the stage of considering the required constitutional amendments.