Ekiti Assembly votes for state police, judicial autonomy, others in constitution amendment

Ekiti State House of Assembly, yesterday, voted in support of the creation of state police and judicial autonomy in the ongoing constitution amendment.

At yesterday’s plenary of the House, the alteration for the affected sections of the 1999 Constitution as proposed by the National Assembly were considered clause by clause and four alterations were unanimously approved by the lawmakers.

As part of its concurrence to the amendment, the Assembly aligned with the National Assembly on the alteration of the law mandating the state to have a state police to improve security across the county.

The House also concurred on stipulated rules on which the principal officers of the Houses of Assembly could be removed from offices to ensure stability in the system and also law backing the establishment of State Judicial Council just like the National Judicial Council.

Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on the position taken by the Assembly at its plenary,

The House Leader of Government Business, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan, said the lawmakers ratified the alteration to the issue of law reform in the country for radical improvement in the qualities of laws that will guide the three arms of government.

He said: “At the plenary today, the assembly approved four areas being considered for amendment to the 1999 constitution by the National Assembly. What we did was just a concurrence to the amendments and not further alterations to what had been done by the National Assembly.

“These include the approval for the law mandating the state to have a state police to improve security across the county. We also approved a law stating the procedure to be followed for the removal of the principal officers of the Houses of Assembly to ensure stability and improve the quality of governance.

“The Assembly also unanimously approved the alteration to the constitution allowing state to have a law backing the establishment of State Judicial Council just like the National Judicial Council at the federal level, so that the judiciary can be autonomous.

“It also approved the amendment to the proper regulation of the law reform to ensure that quality laws are made to guarantee good legislation and robust governance and equality in the system.”

The two other bills considered and referred to committees at the plenary include a Bill for a Law to Repeal and Re-enact the Ekiti State Polytechnic, lsan-Ekiti 2022, which was committed to House Committee on Education and a Bill for a law to grant government supports for indigent families with multiple births through the establishment of a Multiple Births Trust Fund.

The bill, sponsored by the member representing Ido/Osi Constituency I, Abiodun Fawekun, was also referred to the House Committee on Women Affairs for further legislative action.