The bill for a law to establish the Ondo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun’ Corps 2020 has been committed to the House Committee on Security.
This followed a robust debate on the benefits of the bill when passed into law.
Clerk of the House, Bode Adeyelu had earlier read a letter from the executive on the need to establish the security agency in order to assist in maintaining law and order across the state.
Speaker of the House, Bamidele Oleyelogun who commended other lawmakers for cutting short their recess for the second time, to attend to state matters, urged them to give the bill the desired attention in view of its benefits to the people.
The Majority leader of the House,Jamiu Sulaimon Maito noted that the bill when passed into law would assist in reducing social vices in the state.
He then moved a motion for a debate on the bill in view of its enormous importance to the welfare of the people.
All the Lawmakers who spoke appreciated the proactiveness of the South West Governors which culminated in the emergence of the amotekun security network.
They noted that the dwindling security situation across the country called for a localised security network that is familiar with the terrain and people in the mandate area.
The Lawmakers stressed the need to extend the security network to the riverine area of the state through the purchase of speedboats to facilitate surveillance by amotekun corps.
Oleyelogun noted that the worsening security situation over the years in the country, particularly the South West prompted the emergence of the amotekun security network.
He said” Our region which was once admired for peace and safety is gradually being eroded by bandits who wasted innocent lives an property daily”.
He hailed Governors of the South West States led by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for rising to the challenges of securing the lives and property of the people.
The Speaker noted that Speakers of the six Houses of Assembly in the South West States agreed to give expeditious consideration to the amotekun bill without abandoning all necessary legislative rules and procedure.
The bill was then committed to the House Committee on Security for proper scrutiny.
Meanwhile public hearings will be held in the six states of the south west on Monday next week to draw contributions from the public and notable stakeholders on the operations of the amotekun security network.
The Western Nigeria Security Network code name ‘amotekun’ was launched in Ibadan by Governors in the South West States on January 9 as a way of confronting security challenges in the zone.