Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has strongly
condemned as “self-serving and despicable the demand by some senators on
Saturday for immunity and life pension for presiding officers of the
National Assembly after their tenure in office.”
SERAP’s statement 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 are enjoying it.
But SERAP in a statement today by its executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni
said, “The retreat by the senators and representative was titled ‘Towards
Ensuring Governance Accountability in Nigerian federalism’ but their grand
strategy is the calculated use of legislative powers to alter the 1999
constitution in their own favour so that they can enjoy life benefits at
the expense of millions of economically and socially disadvantaged
Nigerians who voted them into office.”
The statement reads 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.”
“SERAP is worried that the proposal for life pensions is coming from some
ex-governors in the National Assembly that continue to enjoy ‘pensions’
for serving as governors for 8 years. This is a gross injustice and double
jeopardy for millions of Nigerian pensioners who continue to be denied the
fruit of their labour in old age.”
“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 goog conditions of service, and to adequate
standards of living for millions of Nigerians who continue to live in
poverty. Saraki and Dogara should promote constitutional amendment that
will ensure and provide legal standing and access to effective remedies
for victims of corruption.”
“This proposal by the senators is not coming out of the blue. Since the
start of his corruption trial, the Senate President Saraki has worked with
other senators to make subtle and not-so-subtle attempts to grant
principal officials of the National Assembly immunity from prosecution for
corruption and money laundering.”