By Ademola Adeleke
Ekiti State will soon have an Agency that would regulate and control the erection and installation of Masts and Towers in the state.
This followed the debate on a bill to establish the Ekiti State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency by the state House of Assembly, in Ado.
The bill was sponsored by the Lawmaker representing Moba constituency one, Mr Adeyemi Ajibade.
Addressing members on the bill, Mr Ajibade said the move became necessary in view of the indiscriminate erection of telecommunications masts in the state without recourse to any agency or proper monitoring.
He listed the objectives of the bill to include prevention of public assets from being destroyed, especially those laying cables, generation of revenue to the state coffers and that it would address the issue of illegal installation of masts and towers
Other lawmakers who spoke to the bill, Including those of Ikole constituency two, Mr Adeoye Aribasoye, Moba constituency two Mr Arubu Michael, Oye constituency two, Mr Yemi Osatuyi, and Ekiti west constituency two, Mr Bode Adeoye, all Commended the sponsor, describing it as timely, saying it could shore up the state’s Internal revenue.
The bill, which was committed to the house Committee on Environment by the speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye.
If passed to law, Ekiti would be the second state to have such a law in the country, after Lagos.
The house also discussed the Prohibition of Open defecation in Ekiti State bill 2021, sponsored by the Lawmaker representing Emure constituency, Mrs Olubunmi Adelugba.
In his contribution, the lawmaker representing Ikere constituency Two, Mr Tunde Idowu, described open defecation as an uncivilized act that contributed to spreading of diseases, but pointed the attention of the house to a law already passed on open defecation, to forstal duplication.
The speaker committed the bill to a committee on Infrastructure and Public Utilities and that of Environment for detailed scrutiny.
The house also passed the Ekiti State Audit Amendment bill 2021.
The bill empowers the Auditor General to submit the report of the preceeding year to the state house of Assembly and the public.
