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Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun Assemblies Pass Amotekun Bill

The Oyo State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency Bill, 2020 codenamed Operation Amotekun.
The lawmakers, in their dressing, had showed their readiness for the day’s business as majority of them wore customised outfits in the shade of leopard skin.
The session started with a clause by clause consideration of the bill before it eventual third reading and final adoption and passage.
While some of the lawmakers wore amulets, armbands depicting combat ready atmosphere, the lawmakers’ unanimously re-echoed the whining of the leopard the moment the Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, hit the gavel passing the bill into law.
Local hunters’ chants and songs immediately rented the air of the Hallowed Chambers with lawmakers congratulating each other on the extent of the job done.
In Ogun State, the state House of Assembly also passed the State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Bill barely 19 days after receiving the bill from the Executive Arm, as part of its resolve to stem the tide of crimes, banditry and other violent acts.
The Bill titled: “HB No 35/OG/2020- “A Bill for a law to establish the Ogun State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps to Assist in Maintaining Law and Order in the State and Connected Purposes” was passed, yesterday, during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Hon Kunle Oluomo.
The passage followed the presentation of report of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Security and Strategy by the Majority Leader, Hon Yusuf Sherif.
Sherif, who moved the motion for the adoption of the report, was seconded by Hon. Musefiu Lamidi and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote after which the bill was later read and adopted Clause – by – Clause by the Committee of the Whole House.
The motion for the third reading of the bill was later moved by the Majority Leader, seconded by Hon. Olusola Adams, while the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Deji Adeyemo, did the third reading of the bill.
Oluomo thereafter directed that a clean copy of the bill be forwarded to the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his assent.
In Lagos State, the state House of Assembly at plenary, yesterday, passed the bill to create Amotekun Corps as a special unit of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps.
It passed the bill after taking the third reading of the amendment to the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency Law 2019.
The amendment bill had successfully gone through all the different stages of lawmaking, which includes first and second reading, holding public hearing, laying and presentation of committees report, adoption of report by House, third reading and finally passage.
In Osun State, the state House of Assembly, yesterday, passed the Osun Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Establishment Bill 2020 after it was read for the third time.
The Amotekun bill was presented to the Osun Assembly on February 27 where it passed the first reading.
Subsequently, a public hearing was held by the Osun Assembly on February 24 to inject stakeholders contributions and suggestions into the bill.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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