Skip to main content

Lawyer proposes life pension for lawmakers

A Federal High Court, Lagos, has been urged to restrain the National Assembly from passing into law, any bill seeking to grant immunity and life pension to officers of the assembly.

A rights activist, Mr Kabir Akingbolu, made the call in a suit he filed at the court on Tuesday.

Joined as respondents in the suit were Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Akingbolu, in his originating summons, said the move by the federal lawmakers was not only detrimental to the well-being of every citizen but amounts to gross violation of constitutional provisions.

He argued that the move by the National Assembly to propose life pension for its leaders at a critical economic period was crude.

Relying on sections 15 (5), 16 (1) (b), (2) (a) (b) and 17 (1) of the Constitution, Akingbolu argued that the proposed life pension and immunity laws by the lawmakers, was a total departure from the provisions of the constitution.

He contended that such proposal would not only further impoverish the citizens as resources meant for their common good would be concentrated in the hands of a few, but also encourage corrupt practices.

In a supporting affidavit, the lawyer averred that the lawmakers failed to take into consideration the constitutional provision bordering on maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen, before proposing such laws.

He averred that what was required of the National Assembly at the moment were laws that would foster maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.

According to him, for decades, no officer of the National Assembly has been granted immunity and there is no harassment of the holders of the said offices.

“The move to obtain immunity for officers of the National Assembly for offences while in office is anti-people and unconstitutional.

“All over the world, there is nowhere members of the legislature are granted immunity against offences; therefore any grant of same is a crude attempt to place lawmakers above the law.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more