Date: 2018-07-05

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called for collaboration of the 36 States' Assembly in the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to provide for State and Community Policing in the country.

Saraki spoke when the 36 States Assembly Speakers, led by its Chairman and Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulmumin Ismaila Kamba, paid a thank you visit to leadership of the Senate, for passing the Bill which granted financial autonomy to State Legislatures.

The President of the Senate, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, stated that State and Community Policing in the country has become imperative due to rising security challenges.

Saraki said: "You are all aware of the challenges we are currently facing in this country, particularly that of insecurity. There is no doubt that the security architecture of this country presently cannot meet the demands and challenges before it.

"One of the decisions we took today is to address the issue of State and Community Policing. In doing that, we gave our Constitution Amendment Committee two weeks to bring to the floor a Bill on State and Community Policing. The House of Representatives is also working along similar lines.

"We will send it to the States' Assembly to seek your support. We believe that no responsible country or society can continue to watch helplessly as our people are being killed.

"We must appeal to our people that we must live in peace and harmony and we must be able to resolve our issues peacefully. As Speakers, I urge you to play your part," he stated.

Earlier, the Chairman of the States' Assembly Speakers Conference, Hon. Kamba, said that they were at the National Assembly to thank the leadership of the Senate for passing the State Assembly Financial Autonomy bill which has been signed into law.