LAGOS ANTI-CULTISM LAW 2020: HON. VICTOR AKANDE URGES POLICE TO BE DILIGENT IN PROSECUTION, SAYS ‘WE HAVE TO TEST A LAW TO KNOW IF IT WILL WORK OR NOT’
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, LASIEC & Public Petitions, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Olusegun Akande
Recently, the Lagos State Government signed into law the Unlawful Societies and Cultism (Prohibition) Bill of Lagos State 2020 which approves a 21-year jail term for convicted cultists and 15 years for those who aid and abet cultists. By this new law, a stricter punitive measure has been placed on cultism as against the erstwhile Cultism (Prohibition) Law of Lagos State 2007.
In its bid to get more detailed information on the working procedure of this anti-cultism law, Oki Samson of Trek Africa Newspaper reached out to the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, LASIEC and Public Petitions, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Olusegun Akande in this exclusive interview. The member of the Lagos House of Assembly representing Ojo Constituency, Hon. Akande shared more on this law among other issues.
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Hon. Victor Akande displaying his award of excellence received at the 7th edition of Trek Africa Awards and National Discourse held at Golden Gate, Ikoyi, Lagos
Trek Africa: You are the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, what has your committee been up to since inception? Can you give us a run-down of your achievements?
Hon. Akande: Basically, one of the bills that have been passed into law is the bill on cultism and 4 others. The committee has engaged the general public to make input in all of the laws we have passed. You can’t make laws for people in absentia. We also engage in adhoc work like the illegal dredging in Lagos. We have a plethora of petitions that we have treated to logical conclusion. We have been so meticulous and engaging in carrying out our responsibilities as a committee.
Trek Africa: The Lagos state government recently enacted a law that has put a 21-year jail term for cultism, what’s your general overview of this. I believe this law cannot be without the input of your committee?
Hon. Akande: If we want to eradicate the vice of cultism, we have to put in punitive measures that our young ones will run away from it. That is the essence of the punitive measure to serve as deterrent for our young. In this part of the world, we take laws with levity and we have to test a law to know if it will work or not. There is an open window for amendment but let’s put it to work. It is from cultism that all these issue of kidnapping find their root. So if we are able to curtail this from our society then it will go a a long way to making sure that peace and tranquility return to the system.
Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, LASIEC and Public Petitions, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Olusegun Akande
Trek Africa: More so, the Lagos State Police Command under the leadership of Hakeem Odumosu said they will test the law for the first time on cultists they arrested recently, what would you think they should do in terms of prosecution in order to get due justice in the court of law? You know many times our Judges accuse prosecution of being too weak?
Hon. Akande: The law is there to be tested. Let’s see if it will stand the test of time. Some people committed a crime within the time that the law is made so we have to prosecute them according to the law that is enacted. The police have a lot of work to do. It is enough to arrest somebody. It is for you to investigate whether they are cultists or not. There are so many subsections in that law that gives room for thorough investigation.
Until the people are thoroughly investigated vis-a-vis fundamental human rights, fair hearing and others then you can say you have done due diligence. The police have work to do to convince the court that these people are actually cultists.
Hon. Victor Akande with Oki Samson of Trek Africa Newspaper during the interactive interview.
Trek Africa: The former VP of NBA, Barr. Onyekachi Ubani on Monday got a landmark judgment that compelled the FG to extend the NIN-SIM registration by another two months citing infringement of human rights by the short notice that was in place before, what’s your take on this whole NIN-SIM registration, don’t you think that government should give enough time for her 200 million citizens?
Hon. Akande: There is a time to start and there is a time to end. If Federal Government has come in its wisdom to say it starts now and ends then, it does not mean that is the end. The people there are not fools or stupid. They know the population of Nigeria. They know that the period given is not enough. If they looked at what they have registered and those who have not, they can decide to extend it. But running to court, well it is good, it is a right step in the right direction but all I will say is that people in government are not stupid. This judgment is to secure an injunction but I believe that Federal Government know what to do and when to do it.
Trek Africa: Asiwaju turns 69 on Monday, tell us what you think about this phenomenal leader?
Hon. Akande: He is a Leader of leaders, a fisher of men and a grower of generations.This is a man who has affinity for raising people from poverty to affluence and for building people with high cerebral intelligence to becoming one of the cornerstone of governance to ensure that democratic tenets are being enshrined at all levels throughout Nigeria. It started like child’s play in Lagos but you can see how Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has turned Lagos to a mega-Nigeria. Look at what Nigeria is generating in terms of VAT, we are major contributor. And it is from what Asiwaju started during those days when they did not pay the allocation. He brought brains to make sure we come out of political comatose into affluence. He has grown so many people and you can find them in key areas. People come to take tutelage of governance from various states.
This enigma has turned himself to a dustbin that anybody that want to climb up will throw tantrums at so that they can be known. This is to let you know how important he is. They shout his name all over the country. And that is why we have stood our ground to say that he should come out and vie for presidency of this country because he has much to offer. Without any modicum of fear, throughout the South no man has the political pedigree of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that can be trusted and weighed on the scales of political sagacity. Asiwaju is ABAMI – a rare gem to Africa.
