From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan, and Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti
A bill to provide legal backing for the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun in Oyo State is being expected by the lawmakers this week.
The Chairman, Committee on Information, Oyo State House of Assembly, Kazeem Olayanju, told The Nation yesterday that the Assembly was prepared to receive the bill this week.
He said the Assembly was expecting the bill to be submitted before Friday based on the level of work being done on it by the Executive.
“The bill will come in this week. We are expecting it latest Friday,” he said.
When asked if the lawmakers were prepared to give it a speedy passage, he said: “Very seriously. Once it comes, there won’t be any delay because we are waiting for it already.”
Speakers of the assemblies in the six Southwest states met in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a fortnight ago where they reviewed the establishment of Amotekun and agreed on the need to give speedy passage to the bill on the outfit to make it legal in each state. The states are Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos.
The Attorneys-General of the states will also meet again this week to review their efforts at providing the appropriate legal backing for Amotekun. They also met in Ibadan two weeks ago during which they agreed on the modality for giving legal teeth to the outfit.
A three-member committee was set up among the six at the meeting. The committee was given two weeks to submit its report on how best to handle the legal approach to Amotekun.
A source said they would meet again this week to finalise the approach to be used.
Operation Amotekun was launched on January 9 in Ibadan, but was declared illegal by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), on January 14.
He said the constitution does not provide for a region to establish a security outfit.
His position, which caused public outrage, forced the states to find a way to give the outfit a legal backing.
Ekiti State House of Assembly said it is yet to receive the executive bill on the Western Security Network code-named ‘Operation Amotekun’.
Speaking with The Nation in a phone chat yesterday, Speaker Funminiyi Afuye said the bill on the security outfit had not been transmitted to the House for legislative consideration.
He said the House was expecting the bill from the office of the Attorney-General in the next few days to give legal strengthen to the security outfit.
Afuye expressed support for Amotekun, saying it would curb insecurity.
He said he is committed to expeditiously considering the bill as soon as it gets to the House.
“We are anxiously waiting for the bill proposal on Operation Amotekun from the Attorney-General’s office. We ready to give it speedy consideration anytime we receive it,” Afuye said.
He hailed the Southwest governors for the proactive strategies deployed in curtailing the high waves of security challenges confronting the region.
The Speaker said that Operation Amotekun was inaugurated as a result of the crimes perpetrated by kidnappers, bandits, armed robbers, adding that the objective of the security outfits was not to create a parallel police, but to complement the efforts of existing security agencies with a view to restoring public confidence in the government.
A source in the office of the Ekiti State’s Attorney-General, who craved anonymity, told our correspondent that work was ongoing on the draft bill to give ‘Operation Amotekun’ legal backing.
This, according to him, would soon be forwarded to the House of Assembly in the next few weeks for legislative consideration.
“I can confirm to you that work is ongoing on the bill proposal on Amotekun. In the next few weeks the Attorney-General will transmit the bill to the House of Assembly,” he said.
Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Timothy Owoeye has promised accelerated hearing of the bill on Amotekun as soon as it is presented before the Assembly.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kunle Alabi, the Speaker said the House is still awaiting the bill from the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
According to him, the bill may be ready to be presented before the House latest by March.
The Speaker said the House would always support bills meant to promote people’s welfare, adding that the issue of security is on the priority list of the 26-member Assembly.
Owoeye said the Assembly is aware of the commencement of the process for the legal framework and bill on Amotekun by the Attorneys-General of the Southwest states and is set to play its part effectively.
He assured the people that the Assembly was working with the Executive to make the state safe.
Leave a Reply