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Life pension, immunity for legislators not acceptable

Sir: Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) strongly condemns as self-serving and despicable the demand by some senators for immunity and life pension for presiding officers ...

Senators

Sir: Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) strongly condemns as self-serving and despicable the demand by some senators for immunity and life pension for presiding officers of the National Assembly after their tenure in office.

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 eight 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 enforced 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.

Adetokunbo Mumuni,
SERAP Executive Director

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