Vanguard NGF crisis: President, govs risk loss of immunity on July 08, 2013 / in News 12:21 am BY Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North ABUJA—The resolve by the House of Representatives to strip the President and governors of immunity in criminal offences while in office may sail through despite the rejection of same by the upper legislative chamber. Vanguard gathered from a reliable source, yesterday, that the House of Representatives was determined to ensure that the immunity clause, which shields the President, his vice, governors and their deputies from prosecution, was lifted to make the beneficiaries more responsive to the electorate. It will be recalled that while the Senate supports the retention of immunity for the current beneficiaries, the House of Representatives had kicked against its retention. It was learnt that unlike in the past when a united Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, under Bukola Saraki, stopped moves on amendment granting autonomy to local governments and Houses of Assembly, the current split in NGF had provided an avenue for the lawmakers to exploit and change the law. Chairman of NGF, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, could not be reached for his reaction to the issues tabled for amendment. A source close to NGF said that those who planted the seeds of discord in the forum should be held accountable if a bad law creeps into the country’s law books. We’re ready for Senate— Rep A principal officer in the House of Representatives told Vanguard in an interview that they were ready to press ahead with removing the clause that shields political office holders from criminal prosecution. The source, a PDP lawmaker from the North-West, said: “We are only pressing for immunity from criminal breaches and not civil cases, which can wait until the end of the tenure of such office holders. “We are also opposed to the six-year single tenure being proposed by the Senate and we are ready to confront them during our joint conference committee meeting.” The source said that the lawmakers in the lower chamber were not ready to be defeated on the immunity removal and the restoration of LGA autonomy. The source said: “We in the lower chamber are ready to use our numerical strength to challenge the senators on all the issues.” Asked if the lawmakers were sure of getting the support of two thirds of the states, the lawmaker said that they had done their part and that it was left to Nigerians to prevail on the governors to allow their Houses of Assembly a free hand to decide what is good for the country. He said that from their findings, majority of the states were in support of the amendments being sought by the House of Representatives and that the current split in the NGF would prevent the governors from presenting a stiff opposition against the changes. Arewa youths blast northern leaders Meanwhile, Arewa youths have accused their political elite of being responsible of the woes currently afflicting the region and its people. National President of the Arewa Youth Forum, Alhaji Gambo Gujungu, made the accusation at a meeting of the group in Kaduna on Saturday. AYF noted the backwardness in the region and accused the elite of using devious tactics to divide Christians and Muslims in the north for their selfish interests. Gujungu lamented the high level of embezzlement of public funds that had taken place in the northern states and enthronement of poverty and illiteracy at all levels in the region since the return of democracy in 1999. He said: “In plain terms, the north is not only at the verge of extinction, but is also collapsing as a result of selfish manipulations by the elite.” The youths called for sincere and purposeful leadership to change the situation.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 07:16:12 +0000
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