Determined to complement the efforts of security agencies working in the state as well as to promote neighbourhood and community policing, Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed the bill for the establishment of Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency, 2021 into law.
The passage of the bill followed the adoption of the recommendations brought before the Assembly by the Committee on Security during its plenary on Wednesday.
Shortly before calling for a voice vote on the bill, Speaker of the House who presided over the plenary, Abubakar Y Suleiman explained that the report of the House Committee on Security on a Bill for a Law to establish Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency 2021 which was laid before the House in February but referred back to the Committee for some corrections after some observations were raised, was ready and will be revisited by the House.
According to the Report, the Committee observed that the Bill was imputed by some far-reaching innovations that will assist the Government to tackle the problem of insecurity and minimize increasing youth restiveness due to lack of job opportunities and will assist the existing security apparatuses in crime prevention.
The Committee used Kaduna and Lagos States who passed similar bills as a guide in which they visited the two States on study tours.
During the visits, the Committee discovered that there is need to borrow a leaf from the success recorded in the establishment and implementation of the Agency in those States and avoid the shortcomings experienced in the implementation.
While in Lagos, despite the enormous resources at its disposal, avoided full time membership of the Board among others, Kaduna State on the other hand, because of its peculiarities had to involve traditional and religious leaders to the success envisaged.
The House Committee on Security therefore recommended that the State House of Assembly should be the one to ratify the appointment by the Governor while traditional rulers and civil society organizations should be included in the membership of the Board.
It also recommended that the Agency should have an Executive Secretary who must be a retired military or police officer not below the rank of a Major.
In his contributions, Chairman, House Committee on Security Sabo Bako Sade representing Sade Constituency requested the House to allow the Bill for a Law to establish Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency 2021 to undergo third reading and was seconded by Muhammad Lumo Musa representing Lere/Bula Constituency.
After the Members unanimously approved the request, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Umar Yusuf Gital Esq to carryout the third reading.
The House unanimously approved the recommendations of the Committee and voted for the passage of the bill into law waiting for the ascent of the Executive Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.