Immunity: Lawyer Hails Retention Of Immunity Clause For Political Office Holders

Mr. Imegi Ogaranya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Monday in Abuja commended the National Assembly for not removing the immunity clause for presidents and state governors from the 1999 Constitution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Assembly recently retained the clause after harmonising the position of the two arms of the parliament.

Ogaranya told NAN on Monday in Abuja that the immunity, if removed, would forestall obstruction of governance and policies.

The clause is meant to protect the President, state governors and their deputies from litigations.

“ If you allow charges to be brought against serving presidents, vice presidents and governors, it would bring lapses on the activities of governance at the federal and state levels,’’ he said.

Ogaranya said government activities might be hampered if a serving president, governor or their deputies, would be expected to appear for trials.

He said in a case of a criminal charge against them, it could bring their offices’ credibility to question.

“If a government top official is taken to court, the law states that he should appear in court every day of his trial, especially in criminal cases.

“In situations like that, it means the government official will be busy attending to the court instead of attending to the need of the electorate,’’ he said.

Commenting on the current political events in Ekiti State as regards the judiciary, the SAN condemned the attack on the judiciary, saying no community thrived on lawlessness.

According to him, the judiciary is meant to be the only place for any aggrieved person or party to seek for justice and be served same.

He urged parties aggrieved over any issue to seek justice from the court and not to take laws into their hands. (NAN)