UYO — In a major legislative stride toward strengthening grassroots security architecture, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has officially adopted and approved the recommendations of its Committee on Inter-Governmental, Political, and Special Matters, throwing its full weight behind the proposed constitutional amendment for the establishment of state police services in Nigeria.
The landmark approval followed a thorough review and a unanimous vote by lawmakers during the assembly’s plenary session.
Presiding over the sitting, the Speaker of the House, Udeme Otong, emphasized that the decision mirrors the collective aspirations of Akwa Ibom citizens for a more localized, responsive, and efficient security network capable of tackling contemporary threats at the community level.
Bridging Security Gaps Through Local Intelligence
Deliberating on the framework of the proposed constitutional amendment, the leadership of the House stressed that decentralizing policing functions is vital to combating localized crime, improving response times to security emergencies, and enhancing proactive crime prevention through deep community engagement and grassroots intelligence gathering.
Mr. Otong noted that the proposed model is carefully designed to complement rather than replace national security frameworks.
“State police will bring policing closer to the people, improve responses to security threats, and enhance crime prevention through local intelligence and community engagement,” the Speaker stated.
The assembly further clarified that while the constitutional amendment paves the way for states to establish their own police services, it simultaneously retains the federal police structure and its core responsibilities for national policing functions. A formalized framework will also be instituted to foster seamless cooperation, mutual assistance, and intelligence sharing between federal and state security formations.
Following the consideration and adoption of the report, Speaker Otong directed the Clerk of the Assembly, Nsikak Abasi Orok, to officially forward the House’s resolution to the National Assembly in Abuja for further legislative processing and integration into the ongoing constitutional review.
Commendation for New Federal University in Oruk Anam
In a separate development during the same legislative sitting, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly unanimously passed a vote of commendation for President Bola Tinubu.
The commendation was in recognition of the federal government’s establishment of the newly minted Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Obio Akpa, located in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
The motion was moved by the Deputy Whip, Bernard Idiong, and heavily supported by Eric Akpan alongside other lawmakers, who lauded the initiative as a historic catalyst for accelerated human capital development, agricultural research, and economic expansion in the region.
