The Ekiti State House of Assembly Friday passed into law the Ekiti State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun bill.
The lawmakers had shelved another all-important legislative duty to hold the special sitting for the speedy passage of the bill.
The draft bill was transmitted by Governor Kayode Fayemi to the House and passed through the first and second readings during an extensive deliberation on the floor of the House on Thursday.
It was later committed to the Committee of the House on Security and Special Duties, headed by the lawmaker representing Ekiti East Constituency II, Hon Lateef Akanle, who conducted a public hearing attended by traditional rulers, farmers, driver unions, and other stakeholders, on Thursday evening.
During Friday’s proceeding, Akanle read the outcome of the public hearing at the plenary, which included that section 5 (I) of the security network bill the governing board should be headed by a retired law enforcement agent, who should be a man of proven integrity or equivalent in the Nigerian Army not below the rank of Major General.
Assuring that the governor will be thorough with the implementation after assent, the Speaker said: “we can be rest 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. We have a governor who is an Amotekun himself and we have not passed the bill in vain, so you can be rest assured that the law will be accorded speedy assent by the governor”, he said.
On some amendments being sought to the final copy by members, Afuye added: “you can’t get a perfect law anywhere and if you pass a law and if it becomes problematic tomorrow, then the mechanism of amendment will set in.
“Look at the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria, people are still saying some aspects should be amended. So, those contentious areas will be perfected at the implementation level”, he assured.
Afuye commended the members of the security committee for the public hearing conducted, saying they didn’t shortcut any of the stipulated rules of the House to arrive at the conclusion.
The Speaker added that the report encapsulated the views of the people, who are yearning for a well secured and well-protected environment.
“I commend your disposition and call to duty to serve your people. I pray that we shall continue to rise and rise again”.
There was a heated debate on the qualification of who should head the board, as the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Hakeem Jamiu and Hon Adeoye Aribasoye craved for the reduction of the rank of the chairman of the board should be reduced from Major General or equivalent to a lower rank.
Jamiu said: “retired Major Generals are not easy to come by and when you see them, they might be old or tired. So, let us bring down the scale to either Brigadier General, Colonel or equivalent.
“We have to think ahead of implementation level, so that we won’t run into crisis. How many Major Generals do we have around? Those that are still alive are old for such position, so I move that we reduce the rank to Brigadier General or Colonel or equivalent in other law enforcement agencies”, he submitted.
The Leader of Government Business, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, said with the passage, the state had again exhibited leadership by example and pacesetting feature in the southwest.
The assembly at the sitting considered the Ekiti State Public Procurement Bill, at the first reading.
