Author name: Umar Idris Shuaibu

The National Assembly has begun reviewing fresh requests for the creation of new states and local governments as part of the ongoing amendment to the 1999 Constitution. Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin, disclosed this on Thursday during the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held in Lagos. Jibrin, who also chairs the Constitution Review Committee, said the National Assembly remains committed to producing people-oriented constitutional amendments within the timeline set by lawmakers. Read Also: Tinubu Seeks Senate Confirmation of Bernard Doro as Minister “For the past two years, we have engaged constituents, stakeholders, civil society organisations, and interest groups through town hall meetings and public hearings. The process has so far produced 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests,” he said in a statement issued by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir. He explained that the retreat would enable committee members to thoroughly consider each of the proposed amendments and make recommendations for adoption by both chambers. “It will not be an easy task to conclude in two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians to deliver the first set of amendments before the end of the year,” Jibrin stated. The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged lawmakers to put national interest above personal or sectional considerations. “We are here as one committee — there should be no division between the Senate and the House. Our guiding principle must be what best serves Nigerians,” he said. Jibrin reiterated that the current amendment exercise aims to address long-standing structural challenges, enhance local governance, and strengthen Nigeria’s federal system for more equitable development across all regions.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a major shake-up in the leadership of the nation’s armed forces, appointing new service chiefs in a move aimed at strengthening national security and improving inter-service coordination. According to a statement signed by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, General Olufemi Oluyede has been appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa. In the new appointments, Major-General W. Shaibu was named Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke was appointed Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas takes over as the new Chief of Naval Staff. Read Also: Reps Move to Establish Nigeria Police Pension Board, End PenCom Control The statement noted that the changes form part of President Tinubu’s broader security reform agenda, which focuses on enhancing professionalism, intelligence sharing, and operational synergy among the armed forces. The new service chiefs are expected to hit the ground running in addressing the country’s pressing security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and oil theft, while strengthening collaboration with regional and international partners. The appointments take immediate effect.

The House of Representatives has passed a Bill seeking to remove personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), setting the stage for a distinct pension system dedicated exclusively to police officers. The proposed legislation, titled A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board, is designed to create a more effective and transparent framework for managing the pensions and gratuities of serving and retired police personnel. Under the new arrangement, police officers will be exempted from the Pension Reform Act’s contributory scheme and will instead be entitled to 85 per cent of their total emoluments as pension. The move aims to ensure timely and equitable payment of benefits to all retired members of the Force. Read Also: BUK Alumni Celebrate Kankarofi’s Elevation, Describe Him as Pride of 1992 Set The Bill, which now awaits the Senate’s concurrence before transmission to the President for assent, also seeks to amend Section 5(1a) of the Pension Reform Act, 2014, to include the Nigeria Police Force among the groups already excluded from the scheme—alongside members of the Armed Forces and intelligence services. Once signed into law, the legislation will establish the Nigeria Police Pension Board, to be headed by a Director-General—a serving officer not below the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG)—and a Secretary, who must be a senior police officer and a lawyer with at least ten years of post-call experience. The new board will assume full responsibility for administering and paying pensions and gratuities to retired officers, taking over these functions from the National Pension Commission (PenCom). It will also oversee the disbursement of compassionate gratuities, death benefits, and other entitlements to the next of kin of deceased officers. According to Section 14, “There shall be charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, all such sums of money as may be granted by the Federal Government by way of pension and gratuity in accordance with this Bill.” Section 15 outlines eligibility criteria, stating that no officer shall receive pension or gratuity unless they have served 35 years or reached the age of 60, whichever comes first. It also provides benefits in cases of voluntary retirement after ten years, compulsory retirement, or medical incapacity. The law further provides under Section 17 that a pension granted under this Bill shall not be less than 85 per cent of total emoluments, while additional pensions granted due to injuries shall not exceed 100 per cent of the highest pensionable emoluments during service. Section 19 stipulates that if a retired officer dies within five years of retirement, the next of kin shall continue receiving the same pension for the remainder of that period. Section 21 also protects pensions and gratuities from seizure or transfer, except for debts owed to the Federal Government or court-ordered payments. The passage of the Bill marks a major milestone in addressing the long-standing concerns of police officers over inadequate pension management under the current contributory system.