‘We can’t rubber-stamp everything’ — Oshiomhole kicks against PSC institute bill

Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north, has opposed a bill seeking to establish a training institute for the Police Service Commission (PSC), warning that the senate must not serve as a “rubber-stamp” for duplicative institutions.

The bill, titled ‘Police Service Commission Training Institute (Establishment) Bill, 2025’, was presented during Thursday’s plenary by Yunus Akintunde, senator representing Oyo central, on behalf of Abdulhamid Mallam-Madori, chairman of the senate committee on police affairs.

“That the Senate do receive and consider the report of the Committee on Police Affairs on the Police Service Commission Training Institute (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 564),” Akintunde said.

But Oshiomhole, a former governor and labour leader, rose to oppose the bill, questioning the logic of establishing a training institute for a commission that employs few people and already has limited operational scope.

“This house can’t rubber-stamp everything, Mr President, Sir. With profound respect, I think we have to be careful over multiplications and duplications of institutions that will add no value whatsoever,” he said.

“With due respect, I’ll like to ask: beside the Nigeria Police Force, how many people are employed under the Police Service Commission — besides the commissioners whose business is to regulate and oversight the affairs of recruitment, training — for the senate to set up a committee to establish an institute to train a commission which may sometimes not even exist?

“In the not-too-distant past, the idea of Police Service Commission was even abolished and they created the ministry of police affairs.

“Now you have ministry of police affairs and they will train their people as civil servants, then you have police service commission to train who?

“This country should invest in training police men and women and not police service commission.”

Responding, Akintunde clarified that the PSC is a constitutionally recognised body and has not been replaced or scrapped in favour of any ministry.

“Police Service Commission is in existence. It was not cancelled to create the ministry of police affairs,” he said.

“There is quite a world of difference between the police force and the police service commission.

“This senate has passed a training institute for the Nigeria Police Force earlier this year. The one we are requesting for now is Police Service Commission Training Institute.”

Abdul Ningi, the Bauchi central senator, also intervened, cautioning that debate on the substance of the bill had come at the wrong time.

“We must be guided by our rules. This is a bill at the second reading. The argument canvassed by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, as good as they look, have gone beyond that,” he said.

“He must wait, if this bill is assented to, then he can come for amendment. We have gone beyond that. This is not up for debate.”

Ningi said the bill has gone through debates and public presentations, adding that the senate can only accept the decisions taken at the various stages.