Lawyers reject immunity for Saraki, others

Senate President Bukola Saraki
The proposed immunity clause for the leadership of the
Legislative arm of government has been described as a free
license to corruption by a civil society organisation and some
lawyers in the country.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo
Ogor, had recently disclosed proposed constitutional
amendment such that the Senate President and his deputy, the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy, as well
as the Chief Justice of Nigeria would enjoy immunity from
criminal trial.
But reacting to the development on Wednesday, the Chairman of
the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, Mr. Lanre Suraj,
described the proposed immunity clause as the highest level of
recklessness on the part of the lawmakers.
Suraj wondered why the lawmakers would be seeking immunity
for the leaders of the National Assembly when indeed Nigerians
were clamouring that immunity clause should be stripped from
even the current beneficiaries of it.
Suraj, who said allowing immunity clause for the National
Assembly leadership would be like giving a free ticket to
corruption, vowed that his organisation would stop at nothing to
resist it.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. O. Ajanaku, who also condemned
the proposed immunity clause, said it was against the general
call by Nigerians for probity and accountability in public offices.
Ajanaku said, “I don’t subscribe to it. If we are talking about
probity and accountability in all sectors, why the clamour for
immunity, when even the confab that was called by former
President Goodluck Jonathan was to the effect that even the
immunity clause for governors and their deputies should be
removed? It is now that they are clamouring for immunity for the
Senate President and the House of Representatives Speaker, I
think is going to be a free licence to corruption and evil doing.
“How can you be seeking immunity if your hands are clean? If
you are not there for your own personal gain, why should you be
asking for immunity? Immunity to shield yourself from
interference from the law enforcement agencies, such cannot be
supported by any right thinking person.”
Also reacting to the development, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr.
Festus Keyamo, said the call was anti-people and a move that
would do the Nigerian people no good.
“It is a plan that is anti-people; it’s a plan that is not in tune with
the aspirations of Nigerians; it’s a plan that elicits eminent
reaction to the sentiments of the moment,” Keyamo said.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Niyi Akintola, said it would
be unfortunate if Nigerians should fold their arms and allow the
proposed immunity clause to sail through.
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