Lawmakers are close to protecting themselves from any form of litigation or prosecution concerning what took place in the chamber following the passage by the House of Representatives on Thursday of a bill seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to grant immunity to legislators in the country.
The bill was passed after second reading.
The amendment of the bill entitled, ‘A bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) by providing immunity for members of the legislature in respect of the words spoken or written at the plenary session or at committee proceedings, to guarantee that freedom of speech, debates and proceedings in legislative Houses are not impeached or questioned in any court or place out of parliament and for related matters’, was sponsored by Ali Ahmed (PDP, Kwara).
The bill was consolidated with the ‘Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to guarantee freedom of speech and legislative actions of members of the National Assembly”, which was sponsored by Raphael Igbokwe (PDP, Imo).
TEDDY NWANUNOBI, Abuja
