The Executive Director of SERAP (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project), Adetokunbo Mumuni, has condemn the demands made by some senators for life pension and immunity for presiding officers of the National assembly after their tenure.
According to the statement, the call was made so as to manipulate the use of legislative powers to alter the 1999 Constitution
in their own favour, to the detriment of millions Nigerians, economically and
socially.
Statement from some men of the National assembly:
Granting senators and
representatives immunity and life pensions would neither enhance
governance, accountability nor contribute to the betterment of
Nigerians.
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.
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,”
Human Rights Lawyer and activist, Femi Falana (SAN) Condemn the proposition. He said:
The proposals for immunity and life
pension for the principal officers of the National Assembly are
insensitive, irrational and immoral.
Indeed, it is the height of
insensitivity for legislators to propose life pension for their leaders
at a time that workers are owed arrears of salaries in many states of
the federation.
The proposal to confer immunity on
legislators is provocative, to say the least. No serious nation can
grant immunity to legislators who have been linked with criminal
diversion of public funds, forgery and rape.
We can assure the concerned members
of the public that the satanic proposals of the legislators will not
succeed. It is pertinent to inform the legislators that the members of
the human rights community have resolved to mobilise the Nigerian people
to reject both proposals.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
No comments:
Post a Comment