By Isaiah Eka
Uyo – A Bill for a law to establish Neighbourhood Safety Corps in Akwa Ibom passed second reading in the State House of Assembly at plenary on Thursday.
The bill, entitled “Akwa Ibom State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency Bill”, sought to provide for the establishment of a regulatory framework for neighborhood safety corps in the state.
Leading the debate at plenary, the lead sponsor, Mr Anietie Eka, (PDP-Uyo), said the bill sought to checkmate crime and criminal activities in the state.
Eka added that the bill, when passed and signed into law, would support the formal security network to do its work effectively.
According to him, the neighbourhood safety corps will operate within communities in the state by gathering information about crimes, report suspicious activities and criminal suspects to the appropriate authority.
He explained that the police did not have the numerical capacity to protect the state, as one police officer would be protecting about 400 persons.
He stressed that this was not achievable in our society and as such, there was need for informal security network to help in combating crime in the state.
The lawmaker said the law would make it mandatory for a state-sponsored security outfit to assist security agencies in fighting crime in the state.
He emphasised that many states in Nigeria had established neighbourhood safety corps to help the formal security network in combating crime in their locality and, therefore, called for the establishment of same in Akwa Ibom.
He appealed for support from other members of the house to enable the bill to see the light of the day.
After exhaustive deliberations in support of the bill by the members present, the Speaker of the house, Mr Aniekan Bassey, referred the bill to the House Committee on Security, Youths and Sports.
The speaker directed the committee to conduct an in- depth study of the bill and report to the house within one month.
Meanwhile, the house adjourned its plenary to reconvene on May 14.
(NAN)
