Why FCT is excluded from state police – Senate

The Senate has explained that the Federal Capital Territory was excluded from the proposed state police arrangement because it does not have a governor or a State House of Assembly.

According to the Senate, the FCT remains directly under the administration of the Federal Government.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, gave the explanation on Friday while speaking with Saturday PUNCH amid questions over why the FCT was not included in the constitutional framework for the establishment of state police.

Adaramodu said the administrative structure of the FCT was fundamentally different from that of the 36 states, noting that the territory is headed by a minister who operates under the Federal Executive Council.

The Ekiti lawmaker added that the National Assembly exercises legislative powers over the FCT, unlike the states, which have governors and Houses of Assembly.

He said, “I have heard many people raise a lot of questions on why the Federal Capital Territory is not among the plan for state police. The FCT issue is different. It is under the Federal Government.

“Again, the FCT does not have a governor. It is run by a minister who subscribes to the Federal Executive Council. It is from this FEC that the FCT takes directives and its administrative relevance.

“So, the federal capital does not have an assembly. It is the National Assembly that legislates for the FCT. This is why it can’t be different from what the Federal Government does. Therefore, the federal police are in charge.”

The clarification comes as the Federal Government moves to establish a new policing architecture following growing calls for the decentralisation of policing and the constitutional backing of state police.

The Presidency had announced that President Bola Tinubu was expected to receive the draft Executive National Policing Bill on September 3 as part of efforts to overhaul the country’s policing system.

The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this after a meeting of the group at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.