N’Assembly in final push to provide life pensions, immunity for principal officers

Baring any last minute change, the National Assembly will soon announce plans to grant life pensions to the Senate President, his deputy, as well as the House of Representatives Speaker and his deputy after they leave office.

Similarly, Speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly and their deputies, are also included as part of those to benefit from the proposed life pension, championed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

In the recommendation, lawmakers are proposing that the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as Speakers of State Houses of Assembly and their deputies, will also enjoy immunity while in office.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu heads the constitution review committee in the Senate, while the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yussuff Lasun, heads the committee in the Green Chamber.

Lawmakers, at a retreat in Lagos in June, 2016, adopted Senator Ekweremadu’s committee’s recommendations that National Assembly presiding officers and their Houses of Assembly counterparts, be allowed to enjoy life pensions and immunity.

In December, 2016, Ekweremadu submitted an interim report of the constitution review committee to the Senate, but excluded the life pension and immunity clauses, which have been captured in the full report which is expected to be laid anytime soon.

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A Senator who spoke to Ripples Nigeria extensively, but pleaded not to be named, said lawmakers were likely to reject the two recommendations contained in the final report of the committee.

He said since the presiding officers are “first among equals, it will be unfair for them to enjoy immunity and life pensions, while other lawmakers who are qualified to occupy the same positions will be left out.”

He said unless the 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives are factored in those to benefit from the life pensions and immunity while in office, the proposal will be rejected.

“We were all elected by our people to come to the National Assembly. If you are a Senate President or a Speaker of the House of Representatives, it is just a privilege. If all of us will not enjoy the immunity while in office and the life pensions, then nobody should enjoy it,” the lawmaker said.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, had, during the retreat, kicked against the move. He had said: “If there must be pension for principal officers, it should cut across. We were all elected from our various constituencies. I think we should not milk the nation dry. We should put selfish interest aside and put that of the nation first.”

Wife of former Lagos State governor and Senator representing Lagos Central, Senator Oluremi Tinubu had also spoke against the proposal. She had said: “I think principal officers have had enough. I know some senators that have served and they sometimes come back to ask us for help. Principal officers drive fleet of cars and they have other entitlements. They should not earn extra money when they leave office

“In the last Assembly, we in the minority tried to raise our voice against it. You are first, second and third among equals. Some of us do not even have cars, but principal officers have so many. I think we should drop that idea.”

In a telephone chat with Ripples Nigeria, media adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Uche Anichukwu, said the Senate is working with the House of Representatives to produce a final document.

He said the final document will include everything not captured in the interim report submitted by Ekweremadu last year.

In 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan declined to sign the 4th Alteration Bill of the 7th Senate into law. In the rejected bill, lawmakers had made provisions for life pensions for former principal officers of the National Assembly, as well as the 36 state Houses of Assemblies.
By Ehisuan Odia…

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