National Assembly leadership to benefit life pension, Immunity

A fresh move by the National Assembly to grant life pension for its presiding officers, including the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as their deputies has attracted comments among civil society groups and some senior advocates.

If the proposal is passed by the legislature, the current Senate President, AHMAD LAWAN; the Speaker, FEMI GBAJABIAMILA; and their deputies will benefit, as the National Assembly’s Joint Special Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, laid its report containing 68 recommendations in the respective chambers on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives also recommended immunity for presiding officers of the national Assembly and judicial officers.

While the Senate has scheduled voting on the amendment bills for Tuesday, members of the House of Representatives are to consider and adopt the recommendations on Wednesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, another attempt to review the 1999 Constitution will be revved up at the National Assembly when lawmakers vote on 67 bills from Tuesday.

The joint constitution review committee has proposed 67 bills, each on all the items being proposed for amendment.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives will vote to adopt or reject the 67 bills proposed by the Joint Committee in the Report.