Date: 2016-06-19

Senators and speakers of some state houses of assembly have proposed immunity and life pension for presiding officers of the legislature.

The decision was taken at a two day retreat on constitution review, organised by the Senate ad hoc committee on constitution review, with the theme: `Towards Ensuring Governance Accountability in Nigerian federalism’.

Twenty-one lawmakers voted in favour while 15 voted against.

The lawmakers argued that presiding officers in the legislature ought to enjoy immunity since the executive and judiciary were enjoying it.

If the proposal scales through, all the charges against Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is facing a 13-count charge of alleged corruption and false declaration of assets, will be dropped.

Kabiru Gaya, chairman senate committee on works, said the essence of immunity was to guard some public office holders against any form of distraction while discharging their duties.

“There are three tiers of government and only two arms enjoy immunity,” he said.

“See what is happening to the President of the Senate now. We are not saying the case in court should be stopped.

“But even yesterday we read in the papers that there is a fresh case of forgery of senate standing rule against the presiding officers and some other persons and all is to distabilise us.”

Also, Ali Ndume, majority leader, supported the proposal for immunity for all presiding officers in the three arms of government.

However, he argued that such immunity should be limited to civil offences committed by the officers.

“For criminal issues there should be no immunity but for civil offences there should be immunity. Whoever it is that is involved in a criminal matter should be prosecuted,” he said.

Godswill Akpabio, minority leader, proposed that all national assembly members and houses of assembly members should be given immunity.

He explained that elected officers, who were saddled with the responsibility of ensuring good governance should be allowed to carry out their functions without any form of interference.

“I propose that all principal officers of the house of assembly, house of representatives and senate, should enjoy immunity like the executive,” he said.

“So all parliamentarians who have criminal cases can be invested but they should serve their punishment after office.”

However, Bala Ibn N’ Allah, deputy majority leader, argued that Nigerians might misconstrue the proposal for immunity for the legislature to mean that they were arrogating so much power to themselves.

He suggested total removal of immunity from all arms of government.

“Let us remove immunity from everyone and let there be balance,” he said.

“If you give immunity to everybody, a legislator may rape a lady and wait to finish his tenure before being prosecuted because he has immunity.”

Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, also proposed life pension for presiding officers of the national assembly.

Ekweremadu, who is the chairman of the review committee, said it was necessary for the presiding officers to enjoy such benefits.

“This has nothing to do with an individual. It is about the institution. Let us not politicise it. Nobody elected the Chief Justice of Nigeria, but he enjoys pension,” he said.

“But if we cheapen our own institution, so be it. Let us not make this a personal thing.”

Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra), said there was no reason why legislators should not enjoy such benefit when other arms of government enjoyed it.

“The executive enjoy it. Let us stand by our leaders. They should enjoy this benefit. They act on behalf of us,” she said.

“They are equal to the executive and judiciary and should therefore, enjoy the same benefit.”

Ahmed Yerima (APC-Zamfara), who also spoke in favour of the suggestion, said after being elected by all the lawmakers and their constituencies, lawmakers should enjoy pension.

“Governors who spend just four years enjoy it, so presiding officers should enjoy it too,” Yerima said.

However, Ndume spoke against the proposal.

“The case of the state governors and their deputies is different. They were elected by the public,” he said.

“But we elect our principal officers. To me, I believe that the benefit of the office of the Senate president and other principal officers is too much. They are just one among equals.”