The Kaduna State House of Assembly has endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, describing the initiative as a step towards strengthening community security and addressing insecurity across the country.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Education and a member representing the Zaria City Constituency, Mahmud Ismaila, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the House proceedings in Kaduna.
Ismaila said the House endorsed proposed alterations to 15 sections of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for state policing and change the name of the Police Service Commission to the Federal Police Service Commission.
He explained that the proposed arrangement would empower state governments to recruit, train, fund and manage police personnel based on their security needs.
According to him, state police would improve responses to security threats, including banditry and kidnapping, while creating employment opportunities for young people.
He stated that the House had directed its clerk to transmit the resolution to the National Assembly for further legislative action.
On education, the Assembly’s spokesman and member representing Jaba Constituency, Henry Marah, disclosed that the House was considering an amendment to the Kaduna State Library Board Law to convert public libraries across the state’s 23 local government areas into electronic libraries and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres.
Marah said the proposed centres would provide free internet access and enable students to register for and sit examinations, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, without travelling long distances to access such facilities.
He explained that the initiative was aimed at improving access to digital resources and educational opportunities, particularly for students in communities with limited access to ICT facilities.
The Assembly spokesman also disclosed that a bill seeking to establish the Kaduna State Local Government Service Commission had been stepped down for further consideration.
He said the decision was to allow lawmakers to clarify certain provisions and address concerns about possible duplication of responsibilities, given the existing Local Government Service Board.
Marah further called for the recruitment of new personnel to replace retired local government workers and address staffing shortages across the state’s local government administration.
