The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Reviews has recommended immunity clause for Senate President, Speaker of the House of Reps and heads of judiciary.
This is contained in the report of the constitution amendment Bill that was presented before the House by Ahmed Wase, the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee on Wednesday in Abuja.
In the reports presented by Wase, the committee recommended immunity for presiding officers of the legislature and judiciary.
Benjamin Kalu, the spokesperson for the House, further alluded to this while briefing newsmen, adding that since the executive is enjoying immunity, the legislature should also enjoy it.
He also added that the legislature should be part of security council so that they could be part of the decision making because they pass bills and move motion to that effect
Segun Odebunmi (APC-Oyo) sponsored the Bill titled “An Act to alter section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to extend immunity to cover presiding officers of the legislative institutions.”
The committee had earlier stepped down the bill during the meeting between the committee and consultants.
Several lawmakers in the committee also spoke against the bill during the meeting.
Mr Abdulhamid Mohammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is one of the consultants working with the committee, opposed the immunity clause in the bill.
“It is really unconventional all over the world for judicial officers and presiding officers to have immunity, this is self-serving from the angle of morality.
According to him, there could be a conflict of interest if the immunity is now extended to judicial officers and that you need to go to the judiciary to seek leave to sue the officers concerned.
“You are now going to apply before the judicial officers because these are courts of competent jurisdiction.
In all, the Committee recommended 68 bills to the House for consideration.
Meanwhile, the urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General, Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies to deploy officers to Ijesha land in Osun State.
This is to arrest unwanted killing of innocent Nigerians by suspected cultists operating in the area in a bid to return normalcy and restore peace and order to Ijesha land.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Lawrence Ayeni (APC-Osun) on the floor of the House on Wednesday in Abuja.
In his motion, Ayeni noted that Atakumosa East/Atakumosa West, Ilesha East and Ilesha West Federal Constituency of Osun State had been the most peaceful localities in the South West region of the country;
He, however, noted that the inglorious activities of suspected members of the yet to be identified cultist group had over the past three months embarked on murder of unsuspecting residents in the area.
According to him, on February 7, members of the dreadful cultist group, in broad daylight, killed five persons.
“Those who were hurt by stray bullets and sustained various degree of injury were taken to Wesley Hospital in Ilesha East for medical treatment.
“The day for the All Progressives Congress (APC) party primary, a group of political thugs who drove in a branded vehicle of certain political party, invaded the venue of the party primary and unleashed attacks on the voters
He said that the group succeeded in killing one person before they escaped, adding that the security agencies pursued them and recovered the vehicle used for the operation.
“On February 21, seven persons were killed in Irojo by the suspected cultists around 7.30pm, barely an hour of a peace meeting by some community leaders and the Osun State Commissioner of Police,” he said.
He said that residents of the areas could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed at night or were they able to go about their lawful businesses during the day sequel to life-threatening incidences
He stated that the ugly incidences, if not nipped in the bud, might cause breakdown of law and order as well as escalate to other parts of the state.
The House also mandated the joint Committee on Defence, Police and Army to interface with relevant authorities with a view to saving lives and properties.
The House also mandated the Police and DSS to run an investigation on the recovered abandoned branded vehicle, while urging the Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
