SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives erupted into a rowdy session on Tuesday over a planned alteration of a section of the Constitution to allow the inclusion of the Senate President and Speaker among public office holders that can enjoy immunity.
The Minority Leader, Leo Ogor had in the bill called for the amendment of Section 308 of the Constitution which only accords immunity to the President, Vice, President, Governors and their deputies, to include the presiding officers of both chambers of the National Assembly.
He contended that the proposed amendment should be made to cover the deputy senate president and the deputy speaker.
But kicking against the amendment, the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila said the timing of the legislation is not right, stressing that there was no democracy in the world that heads of the legislature enjoy immunity.
“We must feel the pulse of the people; there is something about timing, timing in any piece of legislation is important,” he said. “There are issues in the senate and I pray it’s resolved,” he said, adding that even if it would work, the timing was wrong especially now that the Senate President Bukola Saraki was facing trials.
At this point, the House went rowdy for about 15 minutes, as the lawmakers all spoke on top of their voices that it was impossible to hear anyone. While some of the members called for the Speaker to rule on the amendment, others wanted it to be thrown out.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara referred the bill to the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional amendment headed by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, noting that “The bill can die even at the committee.”
