The Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos and Osun Houses of Assembly, have passed a bill for a law to establish the Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps. Governors of the respective states are expected to sign the bill into law.
In Ogun State, the bill titled: “HB No 35/OG/2020”, A Bill for a law to establish the Ogun State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps to Assist in Maintaining Law and Order in the State and Connected Purposes” was passed during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, following the presentation of report of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Security and Strategy by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sherif. Yusuf Sherif, the Majority Leader, presented the report of the Committee on Security and Strategy during plenary in Abeokuta.
Sherif stated that the committee recommended that the bill does pass as approved by the Conference of Speakers of Southwest state legislators.
The Majority Leader moved the motion for the adoption of the report, seconded by Musefiu Lamidi and supported by the House after which the bill was later read and adopted Clause- by – Clause by the Committee of the House.
Sherif thereafter moved the motion for the third reading of the bill, seconded by Sola Adams. The Acting Clerk of the House, Deji Adeyemo, read the bill for the third time while the Speaker, Mr. Olakunle Oluomo ordered that the clean copy of the bill be forwarded to Governor Dapo Abiodun for his assent.
Similarly, the Oyo State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed the Amotekun Corps bill into law, after deliberations. However, the bill is now awaiting the assent of Governor Seyi Makinde to become a law. The bill was passed after it scaled through the third reading at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Adebo Ogundoyin, which was also overwhelmingly attended by lawmakers, who all dressed in clothes with patterns of leopard (Amotekun) skin.
The Chairman, House Committee on Security and Strategy, Akeem Obadara, had presented the committee’s report to the plenary, describing the bill as a product of extensive deliberation by critical stakeholders.
He also noted that the provisions of the bill were painstakingly subjected to clause-by-clause and point-by-point scrutinisation at the public hearing. The bill had earlier scaled through first and second readings before a public hearing was held on it about one week ago.
The speaker, in his remarks, said the passage of the bill into law would facilitate rapid development in tackling insecurity in the southwest.
“By passing this bill, we have made history and we will be creating big strides towards providing and ensuring that all persons travelling along the highways, major roads, remote areas, hinterland and forest are free to participate in their normal social and economic life without fear or hindrance. “We can be assured that the implementation will be thorough because we have not passed this bill in vain. You don’t need to preach to the converts. “In a matter of weeks or months, I can assure that the southwest governors and our Governor Seyi Makinde are eager to make sure that we have the corps on the ground running.” Ondo too Also, lawmakers in the Ondo State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a bill for a law to establish the State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps bill into law.
At the plenary, the Majority Leader, Mr. Jamiu Maito, moved a motion for the bill to be submitted to the House by Chairman House Committee on Security Matters, Mr. Ololade Begudu and this was seconded by Mr. Favour Tomowemo representing Ilaje 2.
Speaking more on the bill, the Chairman House Committee on Security, Mr. Begudu said that the security agency would have a board to be administered by a chairman and appointed by the state governor.
Begudu said: “That the chairman must be a person of proven integrity and that there would a commander to man the personnel of the corps on the field. “The commander must be retired security personnel not below the rank of major or its equivalent and being subjected to confirmation of the House of Assembly.”
While contributing, the Assembly Speaker, Mr. Bamidele Oleyelogun described the passage of the bill as remarkable. Adorning Amotekun attire, Oleyelogun assured that the bill after being passed into law “would reduce criminalities drastically in the state.” The speaker said: “The corps would be a community policing body that would complement the work of other security agencies in the state.” In his reaction, the state Commissioner for Justice and the Attorney General, Mr. Kola Olawoye, said that with the passage of the bill “history has been made in the state.” Olawoye said: “This is the first time that the Yoruba race would speak with one voice without opposition. After all, it is the function and duty of government to protect its citizenry.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly also passed the bill into law yesterday.
The bill was passed after the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and his colleagues read it for the third time. The passage followed the recommendation by the Ad-hoc committee, which presented its reports on the floor of the House yesterday. The bill seeks to unify the proposed law that would guide the security outfit jointly established by the South West governors. Osun Assembly passes bill Also, the bill in the Osun State House of Assembly, yesterday, scaled the third reading and was passed by the Assembly. Prior to the passage of the bill, the lawmakers dissolved into committees to amend and introduce fresh clauses into it. Part of the clauses adjusted was the need for would be recruits to posses either a National Identity or Voter’s card, with Omoluabi Identity card. It also added that the corp can arrest of an identified criminal and hand over such to the police for proper investigation. After making the adjustments, the Majority Leader, Mr. Mahruf Olarewaju, moved the motion for the passage of the bill.
Speaking with journalists after the session, the speaker, Timothy Owoeye, said the House would ensure that it performs regular oversight on the corps to ensure that it did not derail from its objective. He said: “We cannot abandon the corps to the mercy of the executive arm of government alone, which was why we inserted as part of the clause, that the appointment of Corp Commander is subject to the confirmation of the House of Assembly.” The bill is meant to create a synergy between the police and the corps with a view to assisting it combat crime in the state. While Amotekun Corp would help gather intelligence and arrest a criminal, it would hand over such criminal to the police for investigation and prosecution.
“Amotekun Corp members are residents of different communities where they work and we believe would understand the terrain and assist the police with such credible details and effect arrest.”
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