Bill to reform Police Service Commission passes second reading

Abill that seeks to reform the Police Service Commission (PSC) has passed through its second reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The bill when passed mandates that each member of the commission would not hold office for a single term of five years and no more and shall be paid salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

The bill also empowers the president to remove a member of the commission, in accordance with the provisions of Section 157 of the Constitution, if he is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the commission or the interest of the public that the member should continue in office.

This bill has been voted on and passed for its second reading and referred to the House Committee on Police Affairs.

The House, following the #ENDSARS protests, had resolved to initiate a draft bill to reform the Police Service Commission, a bill to give the commission wider powers to hold errant policemen accountable and expand the membership of the body.

In November, as part of its public dialogue series, the House had in November presented a draft copy to Nigerian Bar Association, PSC, the NPF, the National Human Rights Commission, and civil society organisations, among before its introduction on the floor of the House.