President Muhammadu Buhari recently declined his assent to the bill establishing Peace Corps of Nigeria earlier passed by the National Assembly. The reasons adduced by the Presidency for withholding assent as required by law, include the financial implications and the fact that the bill has overlapping responsibilities with existing security agencies.
The conflict is generating hullabaloo in the country with the executive and legislature drawing a battle line. Funnily enough, the episode developed at a time countless innocent citizens are being massacred as animals by unknown gunmen.
A cursory look at the sophisticated weapons being used by the perpetrators of the heinous crimes leaves many to believe that the attacks may not be completely isolated from the security agencies, and therefore, a need for the Federal Government to be cautious in empowering and equipping any group of people with arms.
Without a doubt, the legislative powers of the federation is pursuant to Section 4(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. And by the provision of Section 58(5), the National Assembly is clothed with unfettered powers to override the President on bills with two-thirds majority votes. But sensibly, could these powers be liberally invoked without first considering why the President withheld his assent.
To start with, the Navy, for example, is vested with the duty of providing security at the sea shores, Air-Force on the air space, Army at the territorial borders, whilst the Police handle internal security in the society. This, therefore, connotes division of labour with clear-cut jurisdictions and responsibilities distinct from each other, for security of lives and properties pursuant to Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
By this arrangement, all the security agencies identify clearly their respective primary operations zone which therefore eliminates unnecessary squabbles.Though, in exceptional cases, there may be joint operations as directed by the President who doubles as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
At the moment, the Police already are complemented by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) alongside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and State Security Service (SSS). The Federal Government has stringently carved out financial crimes from the duties of the Police for EFCC as a specialized agency, albeit both agencies operate with coordinate jurisdiction. On the other hand, the Department of State Security (DSS) complements the Police in providing security to high-ranking government officials and other intelligence issues.
This is sufficiently convincing that there are many agencies sharing responsibilities already with the Police. Sadly, the Police remain under-funded and short-staffed.
Arguably, proliferation of agencies is no remedy to security of lives and properties but efficient coordination and funding which aligns with the President’s explanations.
Incidentally, the Peace Corps Bill aimed at establishing the organisation to perform the same duties delineated for the Police was rejected by the executive arm; the section that will be held liable if their services are compromised.
The questions begging for answers are; first, are the reasons adduced by the President weighty enough for the bill to be rejected? Second, what responsibilities would the proposed agency be assigned with since grassroots and internal security is the duty of the Police? And third, will the legislature coordinate its operations if established and fund the agency from its mind-blowing budgets?
Above all, is it proficient to establish security agency without necessary planning and funding knowing that a security agency that is redundant will likely take advantage of uniforms and arms at its disposal to do more harm than good to the society? Arising from these, duplication of security agencies without clearly spelt-out duties is unconsciously calling for a catastrophe.
At best, the interested applicants could seek for recruitments in the existing organised agencies rather than setting up parallel organisations with overlapping duties which will create unnecessary disasters in no distant time. Again, if the proposed body is not meant to serve as a political tool for the 2019 general elections, why the sudden pressures when it could run as voluntary organisation until there are adequate resources and mechanism in place to accommodate it?
Meanwhile, a new security organisation to be controlled by the Presidency should logically come through executive bills after a thorough consideration of the prerequisites, funding and coordination. The DSS and EFCC came into being on account of holistic planning prior to their establishment. Thus, an agency proposed to exist under the executive arm cannot suitably be a product of private sponsored bills.
Undeniably, employment is a fundamental issue in any society but the principal objective of security agencies is not employment driven. It is perilous to empower a group with arms without proper coordination, control and training as the helpless society will certainly bear the repercussions.
At this point, the legislature is expected to deliberate extensively on the two cogent explanations by the President, as laws that are impracticable will inevitably retire in the waste baskets. The legislature cannot arbitrarily foist a body on the executive without consensus. Thus, to override the President should always be the last resort and strictly after extensive consultations.
Umegboro, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

Carl Umegboro