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Immunity clause for lawmakers: a desperate bid to legalize and institutionalize corruption!!!

October 18, 2009

The ongoing attempt by the House of Representatives to pass a bill that will grant immunity to Members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly is something that should be of serious concern to all Nigerians and indeed lovers of democracy and freedom all over the world.


For us, we see it as a desperate bid by the lawmakers to legalise and institutionalise corruption. It is sheer brinkmanship and political brigandage.

The bill which has already passed its second reading if allowed to scale through will spell doom for our nation and turn Nigeria legally into a country where its leaders are neither accountable to themselves nor the people. Presently, the government is accountable to no one but at least, it can still be made to account for its actions, because the law ensures that, even though the mechanism for its enforcement is seriously jaundiced. But once the immunity being championed by the lawmakers is allowed to fly, then there will be no more hope for probity, accountability and transparency in this country.

It is sad to note that at a time when democracies globally are taking a giant leap beyond secrecy, and are becoming increasingly accountable to their people (the electorate), ours is sliding back into draconian days, days better imagined than experienced. We don’t have to recount the various precedent cases in great democracies worldwide-Watergate, Clinton-Monica Lewinsky, Baglojevich and just recently Silvio Berlusconi that shows that a government that is open thrives better than that mired in concealment. It is indeed a historical fact that a government that is accountable to its people, that conscientiously does all it can to strengthen the institutions of democracy, that punishes incompetence and malfeasance and rewards integrity and diligence does well, last longer and guarantees development for the greater good.

We are in a fast changing world, a world clearly undergoing a crucial revolution (socio-political and economic revolution, technological revolution and human rights revolution) that will determine the shape and direction of issues in this century; a classic revolution of values, but alas our government, in particular the legislature is sleeping through this amazing revolution. Soon Local Council Chairman and Ward Councillors and even Bank Chiefs and other Corporate CEOs will be demanding immunity to perpetuate public and corporate malfeasance.

How did we get it so wrong as a people and as a nation? How did we allow such heartless, conscienceless and shameless men to get into power? What do they need immunity from if their hands and hearts are clean? They can’t even pass a simple Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill to make government more open and accountable neither could they pass a sound Fiscal Responsibility Law for the whole of the Federation to check Executive lawlessness and fiscal recklessness; all they did was watered down the Fiscal Responsibility Bill which eventually made it ineffective when it became an Act.

For well over a decade now, they’ve filibustered the FOI Bill to suit their amoral ends, yet they can find the time, energy and reasons for immunity legislation and other self-serving Bills. All of the Lawmakers regardless of party affiliation are up to no good. The judgement of God is upon them.

We must not allow them to get way with this one. They can’t continue messing up with our collective destiny, commonwealth and jeopardising and mortgaging the future of our children. We must rise up and save ourselves and our children from the psychological death and trauma that is coming if these men are not checked. It is time for Nigerians to wake up from their lethargy.

Comrade Eneruvie Enakoko

  (CLO Chairman in Lagos)

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