It appears that sometimes Nigerian Officials takes one step forward and two steps backward. During the last constitutional amendment exercise, the National Assembly adopted immunity Clause to cover each member for any statement made on the floor of the National Assembly. That immunity was adopted and signed into law by the former President.
In the aftermath of the senate president arraignment for false declaration of asset, the National Assembly out of nowhere are contemplating providing immunity for the senate president, speaker of the House of Representative and chief justice of the federation. The National Assembly members who are proposing this act said that it is necessary for the heads of the three branches of government to have this protection so that they will not be harassed or harangued out office. Some are saying that it is only fair for the heads of the remaining two branches, the legislative and judiciary to have the same protection enjoyed by the executive branch, namely, president and governors.
This flawed proposal which is neatly packaged on fairness and equity principle for all the branches is nothing but a bogus attempt to gradually confer immunity to all National Assembly members in due course. Nigeria is still wrestling with immunity conferred on the governors and the president. Nigerians have watched helplessly as state treasuries are looted by governors. The worst part of it all is that there is nothing Nigerians could do about it until the governor’s tenure expires. By the time their terms expires, they have done everything possible to cover their tracks so the stolen money will not be easily traced. Couple of ex-governors have pending corruption trial that seems to go on forever. Some of them inexplicable get a slap on the wrist with small inconsequential fine.
The current fade in Nigeria is that most of these corrupt governors built palatial mansions in Abuja, the federal capital with looted funds, and runs for senate at the end of their tenure which they usually win by any means possible. The end result is that if immunity is eventually conferred on the National Assembly members, these governors can then get elected to the national assembly and extend their immunity through the duration of their stay as senators and House of Representative members which will be long enough for law enforcement agencies to lose track of their crimes or simply stay until the statute of limitation runs out.
Conferment of immunity on the head of the National Assembly or the entire National Assembly members will be the end of Nigerian democratic experiment. National Assembly will eventually become a sanctuary for robbers and all sorts of criminal elements if this ridiculous proposal sails through. Nigerians will no longer sit idly by and allow their treasuries to be looted by useless people who have little or nothing to contribute to the national development. All past military coups in Nigeria was justified by the coup plotters as a necessary evil to ride Nigeria of corrupt leaders, and that trick worked each time because Nigerians are tired and sick of corruption. Nigerians are currently tolerating high salary and allowances the lawmakers are currently receiving with little to show for it because they are banking on the fact that it will deter corruption.
Nigerians must rise up and resist any attempt to confer immunity to the heads of the National Assembly, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or entire National Assembly members. People who are proposing this misguided constitutional review that will definitely have a catastrophic consequence for Nigeria should desist hence forth because Nigerians cannot take anymore provocations. Enough is enough. Any sitting president must not append their signature to such self-serving cause. The National Assembly should rather focus their attention on removing immunity for governors.