By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has described as “self-serving and despicable” the demand by some senators, at the weekend, for immunity and life pension for presiding officers of the National Assembly after their tenures.
SERAP’s reaction followed the proposals by the senators at a two-day retreat on Constitution Review organised by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review in Lagos on Saturday.
Among others, the proposals want presiding officers, such as President of the Senate, Deputy President of Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives to enjoy life pension and immunity, since the executive and judiciary were enjoying it.
SERAP in a statement yesterday by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the retreat was NASS as a calculated use of legislative powers to alter the 1999 Constitution in their own favour.
The statement read in part: “SERAP calls on the Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara to show leadership and refocus the National Assembly to be able to perform their law-making functions in a manner that will rid the country of impunity for corruption and not embrace or tolerate it.
“Granting senators and representatives immunity and life pensions would neither enhance governance accountability nor contribute to the betterment of Nigerians.”
“Nigerians will reject any self-serving attempt by the senators and representatives to tear up section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to grant their leaders immunity from prosecution for corruption and money laundering. Nigerians will also reject the despicable attempt by the senators and representatives to grant themselves life pensions. SERAP will pursue all legal avenues nationally and internationally to compel the senators to drop the immunity and life pension proposals.”
Continuing, it said: “It’s a massive let-down for those elected to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the country to prioritise their own personal interests over and above those of millions of Nigerians who continue to suffer the effects of high-level official corruption.
“Rather than engaging in constitutional amendment for personal aggrandisement the leadership of the National Assembly should encourage the inclusion in the constitution of legally enforcement economic and social rights such as the right to food, to adequate housing, to access to healthcare, to work and good conditions of service, and to adequate standards of living for millions of Nigerians who continue to live in poverty.”
