The Stop Impunity Nigeria (S.I.N.) Campaign yesterday commended the House of Representatives for removing the immunity clause for the president, vice president, governors and their deputies in the proposed new constitution.
It called on the Senate to follow suit to eliminate a major source of impunity at the highest levels of government.
The group described the decision of the House of Representatives as a welcome development, saying it would facilitate accountability in the executive arm of government and instill restraint on some of the leaders who had consistently displayed unbridled criminality in the knowledge that they could not be prosecuted for their actions.
The House of Representatives at its session on October 15 voted overwhelmingly in favour of the removal of the immunity clause with 252 of 261 members in support, thereby outstripping the constitutional requirement of two-thirds majority for such an amendment.
Noting that the decision of the House of Representatives was consistent with the final recommendation of the national conference, the campaign Coordinator, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said: “The immunity clause in the constitution actually institutionalised impunity in the country and no nation can progress without a check on impunity.
“The president and governors are laws unto themselves as they cannot be prosecuted, even when they commit the grievous of offences.  This is not good for the system or for our nation. We at the S.I.N Campaign are against impunity of any sort and we support the decision of the House of Representatives.”
It also called on all arms of government to put in place all necessary measures to ensure the independence of the judiciary and insulate law enforcement agencies from political interference to enhance their effectiveness in the administration of justice.

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