Osun State House of Assembly at a plenary, on Tuesday, passed the state of Osun Security Agency and Amotekun Corps Establishment Bill 2020 into law.
The bill having gone through all the necessary legislative procedures was passed with some amendments and corrections.
The speaker, Timothy Owoeye at the plenary said that the House had considered the gray areas during the last week public hearing before the bill scaled through the second reading and passed it into law for the assent of the state governor.
The Amotekun Corps law now ensures that offenders should be identified by corps and duly registered by the police and other relevant security agencies and that the office of the Attorney General of the state must be notified about such identification and arrest.
The amendments also specified that a corps commander is to be appointed by the governor with the confirmation of the Assembly and must be assisted in the discharge of his duties by a deputy, field commander among others
The law had it that there shall be an area command of the Amotekun Corps in each of the federal constituencies of the state.
The Amotekun Corps law also stipulated that a registered resident of the state upon the presentation of national identity card, voters card or the Omoluabi card maybe eligible for enlistment as a member of the corps.
Owoeye commended the governors of the South West and the conference of speakers for their steadfastness in bringing the Amotekun Corps into fruition.
He also lauded members of the 7th Osun Assembly for their support in giving the bill a speedy passage.
Owoeye stressed that after some administrative work on the passed bill, it would be transmitted to the executive arm of government.
Ondo State House of Assembly has passed a bill for the establishment of the state Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps.
The Assembly had on February 18 deliberated on the bill and sent it to the House Committee on Security Matters after scaling through first and second reading and had its public hearing on February 24.
The Majority Leader, Mr Jamiu Maito, had moved a motion for the bill to be submitted by the Chairman of the House Committee on security matters, Hon. Ololade Begudu and it was seconded by Hon. Favour Tomowemo representing Ilaje 11 state constituency.
Mr Bode Adeyelu read the bill for third reading, with Maito moving the motion for its passage while it was seconded by Leonard Akinribido, the Deputy Minority Leader.
Speaking on the recommendations of the bill, Begudu said that the security agency would have a board to be administered by a chairman to be appointed by the state governor.
He added that the chairman must be a person of proven integrity while there would a commander to lead the personnel of the corps on field.
The committee chairman noted that the commander must be a retired security personnel not below the rank of a Major or its equivalent, with his confirmation by the House of Assembly.
According to him, the template of the state was being used by others to harmonise the bill.
The speaker of the House, Bamidele Oleyelogun, described the passage of the bill as remarkable.
Oleyelogun, who wore Amotekun traditional attire, said that the bill if assented to by the governor would reduce crime in the state.
He explained that the corps would be a community policing body that would complement the work of other security agencies in the state.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kola Olawoye, said that history had been made in the state with the bill.
Olawoye noted that it was the first time that the Yoruba race would speak with one voice without any opposition.
THE SUN
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