South West states receive bill to legalise Amotekun

The South-West State Governors have received copies of a bill to establish the South West Security Network known as Amotekun for which would oversee the planned regional security corps operations in their various States.

Penpushing reports that, the Ogun State Government became the first to forward the bill to the state’s House of Assembly for passage on Monday, as confirmed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin

Hear him, “Yes, we are discussing the bill right now, it was sent to the House of Assembly yesterday (Monday),” Governor Dapo Abiodun Chief Press Secretary affirmed.

Penpushing further reports that, in Ekiti State the document was on Monday formally presented to the Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, in Ado Ekiti after the bill was harmonised by the Attorneys-General of the States in Ibadan on Saturday.

The final meeting of the Attorneys-General in Ibadan according to a source was to ensure that the bill was harmonised and devoid of ambiguities and contradictions that may create conflict in the implementation of the document.

 Penpushing also reports that the Governor while receiving the draft bill from Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda, said the security network was designed to protect both indigenes and residents in the State

The Commissioner had earlier given a few highlights of the bill, disclosing that it contains the operational guidelines for the proposed security network agency, explaining that the bill contained key provisions that spelt out the establishment of Ekiti State Security network agency.

Penpushing reports that, Fapohunda said these include; its functions and objectives, the establishment and composition of the governing board of the agency and the establishment of Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, including power and criteria for enlistment into the corps.

The State Attorney General said other provisions of the bill included the establishment of an independent Amotekun complaint board to address possible cases of abuse of power, including violation of rights and corruption, adding that there was also provision for the funding of the corps to ensure sustainability.

The Governor, however, pledged commitment to facilitate the speedy discussion of the bill at the Executive Council Meeting and its subsequent passage at the State House of Assembly, noting that the initiative was a logical extension of the community policing initiative recently assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari and which the Inspector-General of Police had communicated to all police formations across the country.

His words, “the bill when passed into law would ensure that our highways are free of banditry, of armed robbery, of kidnapping, of all forms of brigandage and criminality in our States.The bill is not likely to propose an exclusive protection for Yoruba people living in the six States’,Fayemi said

‘It is going to talk about ensuring that our highways are free of banditry, of armed robbery, of kidnapping, of all forms of brigandage and criminality in our state and to that extent it is a logical extension of the community policing initiative that President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to, that the Inspector-General of Police has communicated to all the formations of police force across Nigeria’.

“My colleagues and I were still in discussion about this yesterday and we have promised ourselves that this will be given accelerated discussion in our various State Executive Councils this week and we will also send it expeditiously to our various houses of assembly this week, our discussions with our speakers who had been really waiting for this’,Fayemi added.

“Some of them had been recalling other honourable members from recess in order to give this an accelerated passage in their various legislature, so that by Friday the 14th of February, the bill that hopefully would have been passed into law would be accented to simultaneously in the six States of the Southwest.”

Penpushing also reports that, similarly, Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipitan,  confirmed that the bill had been received by the State Government, stressing that justice would be done to it in ensuring a speedy passage at the House of Assembly.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Donald Ojogo, equally confirmed the receipt of the bill but said he could not speak in detail on the document until tomorrow, just as sources disclosed that the bill would be officially discussed at the Ondo State Executive Council on Wednesday before it would be sent to the House of Assembly.

Penpushing reports that from indications, Oyo State Government is likely to send the bill to the House on Wednesday, after consideration by the State Executive Council, while the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa said the document was still going through the procedures and would likely be enacted before the end of the week.