Ondo Assembly Cracks Down on Kidnapping, Coastal Crimes with New Laws
By Oyeniwa Elizabeth
The Ondo State House of Assembly has passed three significant bills into law.
The bills, which were passed after scaling through the third reading, aim to strengthen public finance, regulate coastal and waterways management, and prohibit kidnapping and abduction.
It would be recalled that few weeks ago, the bills were committed to committee”s stages and thereafter held public hearing to ensure stakeholders input.
The bills are, a bill for a law to amend the ondo state public audit amendment law, 2021, a bill for a law to establish ondo state coastal and waterways management agency and for other matters connected there with 2025.and a bill for a law to provide for the prohibition of the act of kidnapping and abduction and for connected purposes.
Submitting report on public audit amendment law ,the Chairman house committee on public account, Hon Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju , said that it was observed that the desire of the Ondo State Government to amend the existing Audit amendment Law 2021 will further strengthen the offices of the Auditors-General to discharge their duties more effectively and efficiently was commendable.
The report noted that the proposed amendments contained essential features to accommodate the peculiarity of the State in ensuring reasonable level of independence in the operations of both offices of the Auditors-General.
Speaking after passage into law,the Speaker believed that the bill would strengthen public finance system and ensure best practices in governance.
Also submitting report on a bill for coastal and waterways management,the sponsor of the private bill, Hon Oluwatoyin Allen,he affirmed that the
Ondo State as a Coastal State, will benefit immensely from this Bill, it passed into lase in the sense that investors would be encouraged to develop related businesses accordingly
That the Bill, if passed into Law will regulate several illegal activities and checkman the excesses in both the coastal and water ways of the State
and boost the Internal Generated Revenue (GR) of the State,
That the Bill, if passed into Law, will improve the infrastructural development in relation to water transportation, more employment opportunities would be generated in the establishment of the Agency, and bring sanity to water transportation services.
Speaking after the passage of the bill,the Speaker appreciate the governor for given nod to the bill at preparatory stage,he congratulated the house for the passage of yet another private bill which will go a long way to ensure the development of the mandate area.
While submitting report on a bill for a law to provide for the prohibition of the act of kidnapping and abduction,the Chairman house committee on Security, Hon Ifabiyi Olatunji read the recommendations as follows,Section 5 (1a) (iii) ‘attempt to’ to read “attempt to”
Section 9, to read ‘Ten’ (10) years imprisonment.Section 10, to read ten (10) years imprisonment.Section 12, add subsection (1).Section 12, add subsection 2 to read “Any person who knowingly or willfully permit his landed property to be used by a kidnapper commits an offence and is liable to conviction to twenty-five (25) years imprisonment.Section 13, changed to ‘seven’ (7) years Imprisonment.
Earlier, after the nod of the house through voice votes,the leader of the house,Hon Olatunji Oshati moved notions for the bills to be moved to third reading and passed into law which was seconded by, Hon Afe Felix, Hon Sulaiman Murtala and Hon Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi in that order.
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