The Senate on Wednesday stood down a bill for an act to prescribe standard and condition of licence for operation and practice of private investigations in the country.
The piece of legislation, sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) was rejected by the majority of lawmakers during debate on the floor of the Red Chamber.
Earlier in his lead debate, Senator Ngwu, who is the Senate Minority Whip, said the bill seeks amongst others, to provide a framework for the licensing and practice of private investigators in the country.
He added that it also seeks to provide for a system of regulation, control and conduct of the practice so as to maintain professional standards.
According to him, the practice of private investigators is well established in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Senator Ngwu noted that while some private investigators are former law enforcement agents, others are former military and intelligence personnel.
The modern trend across the globe, he added, is the need to have them licensed so as to maintain ethical standards.
“The objectives of the bill include fraud prevention, detection, assessment and resolution; corporate fraud and risk management services; insurance fraud and claims investigation; aviation accident and loss investigation; marine loss investigation; occupational health and safety incident investigation; and witness location and bail bond defaulters etc.
“The bill defines the scope of the profession; ensures standards; provides penalty for professional negligence; prescribes offenses for operation without license and encourages industry-based training to maintain capacity.
“The bill essentially seeks to professionalise the industry and has no financial implication,” he said.
However, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) dealt a deadly blow to the bill when he vehemently opposed it saying “it will be wrong for them to create an open ended body” that will have the power to pry into people’s privacy and could be a willing tool in the hands of political enemies.
Senator Aminu Iya Abbas (Adamawa Central) followed suite by saying the bill is a duplication of efforts as, according to him, every lawyer can investigate any matter”.
Senator Tutu Zam (Benue North-West) said “I rise to express my strong reservation as the country has enough investigators. Our country is a growing one with a nascent democracy.
“Our country is divided on ethnic, religious and political lines and your enemies can use your opponents against you”.
Salifu Mustapha, senator representing Kwara Central, in opposing the bill said the developed countries like the US and UK being seen as those using private investigators, “there is a debate on the use of private investigators who pry into private lives”.
He said certain conditions like the existence of national forensic institute needed to be in place” to streamline evidence to be put forward by a private investigator.
When the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio saw where the majority was going, he gave the sponsor of the bill the option of putting the question or he humbly withdraw the bill by himself for further legislative action, a euphemism for killing a bill and a soft landing for the Enugu senator.
Senator Osita Ngwu understood the parliamentary language and opted to withdraw the bill, which was a face saving device for him.
