Often times I wonder the kind of people that dominates our political space. I read in amazement the proposed move by members of the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution(as amended) so as to grant immunity powers to the President of the Senate and the Deputy, the Speaker of the House of Representative and the Deputy, and also the Chief Justice of the Federation. Their argument was simply because the Head and Deputy Head of the Executive arm of government at both the Federal and State levels enjoys such privilege. Let's look at the constitutional provision

The Constitutional Provision:
For any amendment of the Constitution to be valid, Section 9 must be fulfilled upon which the president shall grant his ascent(or veto). According to sections 9(1) and (2) of the Constitution...

9(1) The National Assembly may, subject to the provision of this section, alter any of the provisions of this Constitution.

9(2) An Act of the National Assembly for the altertion of this Constitution, not being an Act to which section 8 of this Constitution applies, shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the States.

Going by the emboldened, we can SAFELY say that irrespective of the overwhelming support the proposal may have in the NASS, it is still subject to the approval of two-thirds of all 36 States Houses of Assembly. Will the States support the amendment? How long will that take (considering that each States Houses of Assembly may conduct public hearing and seek the views of stakeholders/constituents before arriving at a decision)?

Is The Proposed Immunity Pro-Nigeria or Pro-Corruption?
It is very unfortunate that our federal legislators in their bid to protect some of their own from facing corruption and criminal offences seek to tow this inglorious path. This is even coming at a time when the call for the removal of immunity clause from Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors is very high. What kind of immunity does the leaders of the parliament need when parliamentarians already enjoy legislative immunity(that is they won't be arrested/prosecuted for whatever they do on the floor of the parliament)? This move is at best anti-Nigeria and pro-corruption. Beside, it is alien to any democracy that parliamentary leaders enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution. It is unheard of even in the USA that our democracy is modelled from.

It is unfortunate that our parliamentarians have taken such futile exercise as matter of importance instead of legislating on issues that affects the common man. Finally, I wish to assure members of the NASS that their proposed effort to grant their leaders such privilege is futile, unpatriotic and shall be resisted. We are waiting...


May God Bless Us All

For once, i support barcanista on this.
Saraki MUST be tried and if found guilty, he will be made to face the full wrath of the law.



This Saraki guy is just too dubious for my liking.


FTC Baby!!

Shouratt to my ORENTE!

you sure?

Tonyebarcanista....... How market na bros

I will comment when I return from work or when I am on break.

Ok, i agree with you on this one....i am suprised that you wrote this...tho...woke up on a different side today?

God bless u too...ce n"est pas possible...rumor mongers on d proll again...

thieves.dey wan hide behind immunity to perpetuate their evil lifestyle.They shud be stone to death

Barcanista, wonderful tips from you. God will shame every rogues in the National assembly.

This is the kind of analysis we will like to be seeing on this forum.

Acording to the constitution, it certainly dead on arrival. How can they cajole all the states to support this unecesssary immunity?

Except they will cajole them by striking a deal to also support immunity for states house of assembly.

hey! that is impossible.

Corruption would be strengthened by this act.

It's even a SHAME to think that this whole Immunity for bla bla bla came from Leo Ogor a PDP leader in the House of Representative. It's an ascent to corruption from PDP as a party and a big slap on our Legislators. Protecting corruption shouldn't even be in our book, but we all know what PDP stand for. it's a SHAME.

Immunity ko Mumunity ni. Where is that done? Only in Nigeria will you see senators anticipate a bill that will favour them and bills that will favour the citizens will take decades. As Barcanista as said it is DOA.

dialfa:
It is a good proposition to protect our institutions
Saraki can be tried if you guys refuse to vote him in 2019
Meanwhile, it is a national disgrace to drag our Senate President around to court and order his arrest and all those nonsense
The sanctity of the senate must be protected, if someone commits a crime, don't wait till he becomes a President or Governor to prosecute him
Respect ourselves

you are kinda correct.

The immunity proposal is spearheaded by "PDP Senator = Pro Saraki Group". I laugh at the Wailers

Saraki should go and clear his name and stop this useless children games of hide and seek.

IdisuleOurOwn:
I will comment when I return from work or when I am on break.

Don't worry, dis will get to FP around evening or midnight, when it must have gotten to about 7 pages. But be fast also cos it will surely get to the promise land.

benedictnsi:
Tonyebarcanista....... How market na bros

Market no too bad....yours?

Soon even governors go begin find immunity from d law sef

TonyeBarcanista:

Market no too bad....yours?

What dey oooo, u am expanding

Supported@Barcanista
Anyone encouraging immunity for the leadership of Nass is as well encouraging corruption
I think immunity gives them the privilege to do as they wish and they eventually get away with it when they leaves office as long as they are friends to those at the top or in power

Unfortunately, governors, their duputies, the president and his deputy enjoy such immunity.

donholy28:
Soon even governors go begin find immunity from d law sef

TonyeBarcanista:
Unfortunately, governors, their duputies, the president and his deputy enjoy such immunity.

Na immunity for past government officials dem go dey find na

It is a good proposition to protect our institutions
Saraki can be tried if you guys refuse to vote him in 2019
Meanwhile, it is a national disgrace to drag our Senate President around to court and order his arrest and all those nonsense
The sanctity of the senate must be protected, if someone commits a crime, don't wait till he becomes a President or Governor to prosecute him
Respect ourselves

Kennywills7:
Supported@Barcanista
Anyone encouraging immunity for the leadership of Nass is as well encouraging corruption
I think immunity gives them the privilege to do as they wish and they eventually get away with it when they lives office as long as they are friends to those at the top or in power

In the USA for instance, no Governor or Lt Governor(Deputy) enjoy protection from criminal or civil prosecution. But our constitution give the Governors immunity from criminal prosecution. The NASS want to add their own. I laugh!

The bill to confer immunity on the leadership of the NASS and the CJN is not an amendment as there currently exists no such immunity to be amended!! A fresh bill will be introduced to confer immunity on the leadership of the other two arms of government that is currently been enjoyed by the executive arms alone!!

It is either the immunity law is scrapped altogether or it is made to go round the other arms of government as well!! We cannot allow the legislature to become a rubber stamp of the executive through mindless harrassments and intimdation!!An independent legislature is the bedrock of any functional democracy!!! A rubber stamp legislature breeds dictatorship and messes up the whole democratic process of checks and balances.

dialfa:
It is a good proposition to protect our institutions
Saraki can be tried if you guys refuse to vote him in 2019
Meanwhile, it is a national disgrace to drag our Senate President around to court and order his arrest and all those nonsense
The sanctity of the senate must be protected, if someone commits a crime, don't wait till he becomes a President or Governor to prosecute him
Respect ourselves

Well said!! We cannot continue to condone the intimdation of the other arms of government by the executive!! What is good for the goose is also good for the gander!! It is either the immunity law is made to go round or it would be scrapped altogether!!!

This double faced OP again!

I remember you drummed support for Saraki to be senate president despite his known antecedents just to spite APC. People like you shouldn't be taken seriously for your double stand on national issues.

The reason you are aginst Saraki now is the faint hope that a PDP senator might clinch the presidency should Saraki be removed. For you and your likes, it's not for the love of the nation but for your stomach.

Thanks for the preaching anyway. We already know Saraki and his colleagues are joking with the immunity idea. It won't fly.

dialfa:
It is a good proposition to protect our institutions
Saraki can be tried if you guys refuse to vote him in 2019
Meanwhile, it is a national disgrace to drag our Senate President around to court and order his arrest and all those nonsense
The sanctity of the senate must be protected, if someone commits a crime, don't wait till he becomes a President or Governor to prosecute him
Respect ourselves

The National disgrace is for Saraki to refuse to step down and face his prosecution but instead remained in the office and drag the office of the Senate President to the mud. He is not the first Senate President to be indicted/prosecuted. His indicted predecessor Wabara resigned from office to face prosecution, while Ewerem and Okadigbo were impeached. Saraki does NOT own the Senate President's office. That's no excuse!

Alams had to be impeached to face prosecution in 2005... Who is Saraki? Should Bayelsa had waited for Alams to complete his term? Why do some people encourage corruption?

egift:
The immunity proposal is spearheaded by "PDP Senator = Pro Saraki Group". I laugh at the Wailers

Saraki should go and clear his name and stop this useless children games of hide and seek.

The pro-saraki group has about 35 APC senators dear!! It is not just a PDP thing!! The senate is trying to protect their independence!! PDP alone cannot secure the 2/3 majority needed to pass this bill into law.

TonyeBarcanista:

The National disgrace is for Saraki to refuse to step down and face his prosecution but instead remained in the office and drag the office of the Senate President to the mud. He is not the first Senate President to be indicted/prosecuted. His indicted predecessor Wabara resigned from office to face prosecution, while Ewerem and Okadigbo were impeached. Saraki does NOT own the Senate President's office. That's no excuse!

Alams had to be impeached to face prosecution in 2005... Who is Saraki? Should Bayelsa had waited for Alams to complete his term? Why do some people encourage corruption?

Lolz!! The same people pushing for Saraki's iresignation gave a gubernatorial ticket to Sylva and Audu who are both more grievious corruption charges!! Even certified looters like Fashola and Amaechi have had their names forwarded to the senate to be made ministers!! On what basis then is anyone asking Saraki to resign

TonyeBarcanista:

The National disgrace is for Saraki to refuse to step down and face his prosecution but instead remained in the office and drag the office of the Senate President to the mud. He is not the first Senate President to be indicted/prosecuted. His indicted predecessor Wabara resigned from office to face prosecution, while Ewerem and Okadigbo were impeached. Saraki does NOT own the Senate President's office. That's no excuse!

Alams had to be impeached to face prosecution in 2005... Who is Saraki? Should Bayelsa had waited for Alams to complete his term? Why do some people encourage corruption?

It is also for the citizens to take responsibility and know that their vote has value
Look, this is not about Saraki but about the office of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Don't confuse the two.
I say prosecute Saraki but protect the office. So wait until he is voted out or impeached.
Now should we also prosecute a corrupt sitting President of the Federation? Why not?