Vice President, Governors, D/Govs to lose immunity

By Haruna Salami

A bill that will make the vice-president,  governors and their deputies, lose their immunity if they misappropriate government funds passed second reading in the Senate.

Titled “a Bill  for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to qualify criminal liability for certain public officers under Section 308”, the amendment sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman Constitution review committee,  Ovie Omo-Agege, had scaled first reading.

Currently, the president, vice president, state governors and deputies governors are protected by the nation’s laws from criminal prosecution while in office.

The  Bill will alter section 308 of the constitution  to make it possible for law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute the  vice president, governors and deputy governors found  guilty of misappropriating public funds.

In addition, the vice president, governors and deputy governors who  make use of thugs to foment violence, also risked losing his or her immunity according to the proposed amendments.

The proposed amendment seeks to alter Section 308 of the Principal Act is altered by substituting for subsection 2 with  a new subsection.

It states  that any beneficiary of the immunity clause currently in the constitution,  would lose it if indicted by the court  after thorough investigation by the police and the anti graft agencies.

It reads in part,  “To persons who hold the office of Vice-President, Governor or Deputy Governor.

“If it is determined either by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC,  Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC,  Nigerian Police and State Security Service through a collaborative investigation that the said person is indicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for:

“(i) Financial misappropriation of funds belonging to the Federal, State or Local Government; or

“(ii) Sponsoring of thugs to perpetrate violence that cause injury or death of political opponent, a member of his family, agent or personal representative.