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| Photo: Hon. Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul, Ph.D. member representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Lagos State. |
The recent approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of a new campus of the Nigeria Police Academy in Erinja, Ogun State, alongside the release of a ₦15 billion take-off grant, is a major milestone in the ongoing effort to expand police education infrastructure and strengthen internal security capacity in Nigeria.
More importantly, this development has further vindicated the legislative foresight and patriotic intervention of Honourable Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul, PhD, Member representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Lagos State, whose motion at the National Assembly on July 4th, 2025 (HR. 31/07/2025) strongly advocated for the effective implementation of the Nigeria Police Academy (Establishment) Act, 2021, particularly the provisions empowering the establishment of multiple campuses across the federation.
At a time when certain bureaucratic interests attempted to frustrate the implementation of the clear provisions of the Act by elevating internal administrative policies above the law duly passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, Honourable Kalejaiye stood firmly on the side of legality, institutional growth, and national interest.
The decision by President Tinubu to approve the Erinja campus is not only a bold investment in the future of policing in Nigeria but also an affirmation that Acts of the National Assembly remain superior to administrative policies or agency guidelines. The Nigeria Police Academy (Establishment) Act, 2021 expressly provides for the expansion of the institution into multiple campuses, and no internal regulation of any agency, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), can lawfully override that statutory mandate.
The attempt by the NUC to rely on internal administrative policy to challenge or delay the implementation of an Act of Parliament was not only legally untenable but also contrary to the spirit of institutional cooperation required for national development. Administrative convenience must never be placed above legislative authority.
President Tinubu’s approval therefore gives practical effect to the law and lends significant weight to Honourable Kalejaiye’s intervention on the floor of the House. It demonstrates that principled legislative advocacy, grounded in law and driven by public interest, can overcome bureaucratic resistance.
This landmark decision is a victory for the rule of law, for legislative supremacy, and for all those committed to strengthening the capacity of the Nigeria Police Academy as a strategic institution for national security.
Honourable Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul deserves commendation for championing this cause with clarity, courage, and conviction. His efforts have once again shown the importance of proactive representation and legislative vigilance in ensuring that government institutions act within the bounds of the law.
As the nation moves forward with the establishment of the new campus in Ogun State, it is hoped that all relevant agencies will align themselves with the provisions of the law and support the realization of this important national objective, rather than obstruct it through policy positions that have no force above an Act of the National Assembly.
This is not merely a policy victory; it is a reaffirmation that in a constitutional democracy, the law must prevail.
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