Governor Oyetola moves to penalise secret societies, cults in Osun

Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola [OSG] The bill has stiff penalties for cult-related and secret society issues. The Osun Secret Cult and Secret Societies Prohibition Bill 2020, forwarded to the Osun House of Assembly by Governor Gboyega Oyetola passed first reading after it was read on Tuesday. Mr Timothy Owoeye , Speaker of the House, read the covering letter accompanying the Executive Bill in plenary session. The governor requested the Legislature to consider the Bill for speedy passage into law. Owoeye said the governor stated that the Executive Council had reviewed and deliberated on the Bill, which, when passed into law has stiff penalties for cult-related and secret society issues.

The Speaker, however, pointed out that the state had an existing law, the Osun State Secret Cult Prohibition Law 2005, which prohibits secret cult activities. He stated that the new Bill would be reviewed and streamlined alongside the existing law to consider merging the two. He said the Assembly's Legal Department and the House Committee on Legal Matters would take over the review of the new Bill and work out modalities on what decisions the Assembly would take. Also on Tuesday, the Assembly's Joint Committees on Appropriation and Finance entertained budget presentation and defence by the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and six other agencies under their supervision.