The Ondo State House of Assembly has held a public hearing on two critical bills aimed at strengthening security and improving the regulation of domestic service operations in the state, Peak Newspaper reports
The bills include the “Law to Provide for the Registration of Domestic Staff Service Providers and Collection of Data of Domestic Staff in Ondo State,” and the “Law to Provide for the Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping and Abduction.”
The hearing drew participants from the Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Immigration Service, traditional institutions, security agencies, and other key stakeholders.
Declaring the session open, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, described the proposed law on domestic staff registration as a proactive step toward enhancing public safety and reducing crimes often linked to unverified domestic employees.
He explained that the bill seeks to establish a database of domestic staff and service providers, ensuring both employers’ safety and effective monitoring of potential security risks.
Oladiji noted that the public hearing was convened to allow stakeholders’ contributions before the bills are passed into law, urging participants to engage the sponsors constructively to ensure thorough refinement of the provisions.
The second bill, which seeks to prohibit acts of kidnapping and abduction, is designed to strengthen existing laws and introduce stiffer penalties for offenders.
During deliberations, lawmakers, including Deputy Speaker Ololade Gbegudu, underscored the importance of both bills to public safety, stressing that their eventual passage would help curb crime and promote a more secure environment across the state.
Stakeholders at the hearing commended the legislature for its commitment to ensuring a safer Ondo State and appealed that their observations and recommendations be incorporated into the final drafts.
