A public interest organization, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), has threatened to sue President Bola Tinubu if he signs the amended Nigeria Police Act, 2020 bill, which stipulates the completion of term for an Inspector General of Police (IGP), among other provisions.
The amended bill, which was passed by the National Assembly, revises the service years of police personnel and addresses job satisfaction within the police force.
HURMA’s Executive Director, Comrade Buna I. Olaitan Balogun, alleges that the bill is flawed due to the speed with which lawmakers allegedly passed it, without public hearings.
Amended Police Act Bill
Nairametrics previously reported that the Federal Government had explained why it extended the tenure of the past Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, despite him reaching the retirement age of 60.
The government stated that the Police Act 2020 provides the IGP with a four-year tenure, which cannot be interrupted by retirement age.
Section 7 (6) of the Police Act of 2020 states that a person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.
The current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, was appointed as Inspector General of Police in 2023 and is set to reach the retirement age of 60 by September 2024.
However, the bill recently forwarded to the National Assembly includes a subsection that reads: “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (8) of this section, any person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with the provisions of Section 7(6) of this Act.”
This subsection backs the term of the IGP.
The Group’s Reaction
In a press statement on August 16, made available to Nairametrics, Balogun stated that the office of the IGP is highly strategic for the survival of a nation.
He believes that Egbetokun, who should retire in September 2024, ought to proceed on terminal leave and hand over to another credible officer in an acting capacity before the appointment of a substantive Inspector General of Police, in line with the provisions of Section 215(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to him, the passage of the bill by the National Assembly is allegedly aimed at accommodating Egbetokun’s continued stay in office despite reaching the mandatory age of 60.
He vowed to take the president to court for redress, adding that if the bill is assented to by the President, it could be nullified in a court of competent jurisdiction if challenged by them as patriotic Nigerians.
He alleged that there are serious grounds to doubt the democratic credentials and loyalty of lawmakers to the Nigerian people due to “the jet speed at which they passed the Amendment Bill without public hearings.”
“The best decision for the President in this circumstance is to withhold consent to the Amendment Bill of the Police Act, 2020, passed by the National Assembly, as it is self-serving and unpatriotic.”
“Our organization has written to the President to register our complaint against the untidy Amendment Bill of the Police Act, 2020, passed by the National Assembly without public hearings, in line with its extant rules. We have notified the President of our intention to approach a court of competent jurisdiction to ventilate our grievances and ensure justice in the process of appointing the Inspector General of Police,” he stated.
What This Means
The National Assembly has the constitutional power to make laws for the country, subject to assent by the President.
The warning by the group implies that the bill may face litigation if passed into law.