GOV. DICKSON SIGNS 7 BILLS INTO LAW, READS RIOT ACT TO CULTISTS

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has warned cultists in the state to
renounce their membership or be prepared to spend 10 years behind
bars.

Governor Dickson gave the warning at the State Executive Council
Chambers, Government House, Yenagoa, while assenting to seven Bills
presented to him by the State House of Assembly.

The Governor, who noted that by the signing of the Secret Cults
(Prohibition) Law 2012, all cult groups in the state have been
proscribed, warning that anybody convicted will serve 10 years
imprisonment without an option of fine.

He said any landlord who allows his building to be used for meeting by
cultists, will, on conviction, forfeit such building to the state.

Governor Dickson, however said any cultist who is prepared to renounce
his membership, would be declared free of any complicity and given
protection by the state.

The Governor said with the passage of the Transparency Bill into Law,
the eight Council chairmen are expected, like the executive arm of
government, to render account of stewardship, including the state of
finance of their local government areas, to the people.

Hon. Dickson noted that the “Local Government Amendment Law 2012”
was intended to streamline the administration of the local government
system saying no political appointee is expected to be a signatory to
any council account.

The Governor, who lauded the members of the State House of Assembly
for the expeditious passage of the Bills, called on them to strengthen
their over-sight functions so that the executive arm as well as the
local government functionaries would work harmoniously.

Correspondent Oyins Egrenbido reports that other Bills signed into law by the governor include the Bayelsa
Administration of Small Estate (Payment of Exemption) Bill 2011;
Bayelsa Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (Establishment) Bill 2012;
Bayelsa State Government and Local Government Compulsory Savings Bill
2012 and the Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day Bill 2012.