In massively passing another set of constitution alteration bills for second reading, the House of Representatives has moved to strip the vice president, state governors and their deputies of immunity from criminal prosecution while in office.
The House on Wednesday passed 44 constitution alteration bills for second reading, spreading across various areas including state creation, strengthening of public institutions, devolution of power, traditional institutions, citizenship, fundamental human rights and local government matters.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Qualify the Immunity Conferred on the President, Remove the Immunity Conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their Deputies”, and sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob, if enacted, the law will leave the president as the sole political office holder with constitutional immunity cover.
It is intended “to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance
accountability in public office.”
On devolution of power, some of the constitution alteration bills passed were those to decentralise the governance of natural resources in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to transfer Mines and Minerals, including oil fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List and for related Matters (by Speaker Tajudeen Abass and three others, and another to move Construction of Roads other than ‘Trunk A’ Federal Roads to Concurrent Legislative List (by Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere), and more.
On citizenship, the House backed the second reading of bills; to
Grant Citizenship Rights to Spouses of Women from Nigeria, and Specify the Minimum Number of Youths and Women that May be Appointed into Specific Offices (by Hon. Daniel Asama Ago and Hon. Kafilat Ogbara); to Guarantee Indigene Status to Persons by Reason of Birth or Continued Residence for a Period of Not Less than Ten Years or by Reason of Marriage (by Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and six others), among other bills.
For human rights issues, the House passed a bill to alter the Constitution, to Provide Additional Restrictions and Derogations from Fundamental Rights, and Additional Conditions for the Proclamation of State of Emergency by the President (by Hon. Obinna Aguocha), and another to make Free, Compulsory and Universal Basic Education a Fundamental Right of all Citizens under Chapter IV of the Constitution.
The House at the second reading stage also passed four more bills for the creation of three States Oke – Ogun State, Ijebu State and
Ife – Ijesa State from the present Ogun (by Oluwole Oke), Tiga State from the Present Kano State with headquarters in Rano (by Hon. Ghali Mustapha Tijani), Orlu State in the South Eastern Region of Nigeria (by Hon. Ikweagwuonu Ugochinyere), and Etiti State with Capital at Okigwe, also in the south east (by Hon.George Ozodinobi).
The bills and all others so passed have been referred to the Constitution Review Committee for further legislative action.