The Delta Occupational Safety Bill has scaled second reading at the State House of Assembly.
Presenting the Bill for the second reading during plenary in Asaba, the Majority Leader of the house, Mr Tim Owhefere, said that the proposed law will require owners of businesses to install proscribed Smart Surveillance Cameras in public places.
He said that the cameras would be installed or mounted to capture the view from both insides and outside and the surrounding premises in the public places like shopping malls, eateries, cinemas, petrol stations and hotels among others.
“The footages taken by the cameras shall be used for the purpose of crime detection and prevention,” he said.
The majority leader explained that the bill when passed would help to bring sanity to such public places.
Supporting the bill, the Chief Whip of the house, Mrs Pat Ajudua, said that apart from making it compulsory for business owners to install cameras in public places, it would also empower individuals, who have the means to install such cameras in their private residence in order to check crimes.
Mr Anthony Elekeokwuri (PDP- Ika North East), while commending the Executive for initiating the bill, noted that presenting credible evidence in law courts had been a major challenge in crime detection and prevention in the country.
“The bill when passed will help to secure the property and lives of our people,” Elekeokwuri said.
On his part, the Deputy Chief Whip of the house, Mr Solomon Ighrakpata, said that the bill when passed would aid police in their investigations.
The bill, which was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, was referred to the House Committee on Peace and Security for scrutiny after passing the second reading.
