Reps propose immunity for Senate president, speaker, judicial officers

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Reviews has recommended an immunity clause for the Senate president, speaker, and judiciary heads.

This is contained in the report of the constitution amendment bill presented before the House by Ahmed Wase, the chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, on Wednesday in Abuja.

In the reports presented by Mr 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 journalists, adding that since the executive enjoys immunity, the legislature should also enjoy it.

He added that the legislature should be part of the security council to participate in decision-making

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.

Abdulhamid Mohammed (SAN), 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,” he argued.

He added, “You are now going to apply before the judicial officers because these are courts of competent jurisdiction.”

(NAN)