‘N’Assembly leaders granting selves immunity violates law’

An alleged move by the leadership of the National Assembly to change the constitution to shield the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and others from prosecution for corruption has provoked the ire of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) which described it as tantamount to breaking the law.

SERAP, in a statement yesterday by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “It is a huge setback for transparency and accountability and the rule of law that the same privileged and powerful leaders of parliament that regularly make laws that consign ordinary, powerless Nigerians to prison for even trivial offences, yet again, want to establish elite immunity to protect themselves from any consequences for serious crimes of corruption and money laundering: that is the Nigerian justice system in a nutshell. This is called breaking the law.”

The group noted that the initiative by the leaders of the National Assembly is coming at a time countries like Guatemala has voted unanimously to strip their president of immunity from prosecution for corruption.‎

He further stated that “the message the leadership of the National Assembly is sending to us is clear in Nigeria, powerful and influential actors must not be and are not subject to the rule of law. It is simply not proper for lawmakers to be the chief advocates of immunity for corruption.

“It’s a clear breach of public trust and a form of political corruption for the parliamentarians to abuse their legislative powers, intended for use in the general public interest but instead for personal advantage. This is an unacceptable proposition as it gives the impression that both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House and others are above the law.”

According to SERAP, “If the leaders of the National Assembly should have their way, this will shield law-breaking and corrupt Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives from any legal accountability and rob millions of Nigerians of their rights to accountable government.