The
National Conference Committee on National Security has recommended the removal
of immunity clause from the 1999 constitution to tackle the menace of what it
called "impunity" among office holders in the country.
Co-chairman of the committee and former
Inspector General of Police, IGP, Alhaji Mohammadu Gambo Jimeta, in an
interview with newsmen, yesterday, added that the measure was aimed at ensuring
that no citizen of Nigeria is above the law.
He identified immunity enjoyed by political office holders in
Nigeria as the bane of the war against graft, which he noted gave rise to
insecurity in the country.
He said: "We have recommended that immunity should be
removed from our statute books. No citizen of this country should be above the
law. The issue of national security is all-embracing and touches on everybody's
life. We decided to take the central issues: Good governance, corruption,
impunity of rulers and the way and manner our laws are being made, which is
totally abnormal from what happens in a civilized society, that is why there is
a grave revolt."
Alhaji Gambo disclosed that the panel addressed bad leadership,
corruption, deliberate neglect and total insensitivity to the laws of the land
among others and proffered appropriate recommendations to deal with the issues.
He added: "Having reviewed all the
areas and the pitfalls we have gone through, we have made recommendations on
the various subjects that are necessary to prop up good life for the citizens
of Nigeria.
"But we limited discussions to the national security architecture.
Looking at what the state has put on the ground to ensure that
Nigerians can go to bed and sleep with both eyes closed, to ensure that
Nigerians can do their business without let or hindrance, to ensure unlimited
access to the remedy of the law courts and other arbitrating bodies."
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