National Conference Delegates remove immunity clause for President, govs, other elected officer

IF the decision taken yesterday by delegates at the on-going
National Conference sails through, the President of the
country, the governors and all elected officers will no longer
enjoy immunity, as it was unanimously agreed that the
immunity clause be removed from the constitution. Adopting
the report of the Hajiya Bola Shagaya-led Committee on
Economy, Trade and Investment, delegates in a voice votes,
said, “there shall be no immunity for all elected government
officials”. The Committee had recommended thus,”the
immunity clause should be removed if the offences attract
criminal charges to encourage accountability by those
managing the economy.” The clause, which has attracted
unfavorable comments at every National or Constitutional
Conferences, currently protects the President, Vice President;
and state governors and their deputies from prosecution as
long as they remain office. However, except otherwise decided,
by the resolution of the National Conference on Thursday,
both the President and their deputies can now be dragged to
court over criminal and civil cases. Also yesterday, delegates
agreed that government should divest public fund from
commercial bank as against the present system where state
government lodge government fund in a particular commercial
bank. Delegates also rejected the proposed of establishment
of special banks for women in the country, just as
recommendation that women should rise to becoming the
governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN was thrown out by
the delegates at the conference. Delegates agreed that
Government should formulate low tax on food and high tax on
luxury goods was accepted as well as a Medium and Short term
poverty eradication programme for the aged, elderly as that
would help in skill acquisition and job creation. The
recommendation that the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, should be made to pay prevailing interest
rate in delaying remitting to the federation account was
accepted, just as the recommendation for a percentage of
pension fund be dedicated to mass housing was rejected and
delegates accepted the recommendation that government
should formulate a policy of low tax on food and heavy tax on
luxury goods as well as an investor insurance act to be enacted
to protect businesses. The recommendation that the CBN’s
SMEs equity investment scheme be grabbed and the proceeds
be invested in Investors Investment Act was rejected by the
delegates. Also, the delegates recommended that the
Socioeconomic rights as contained in Chapter Two of the
Constitution should be made justifiable, while they rejected
the recommendation that there should be a special bank for
farmers, just as they rejected the recommendation that all
contracts below ten billion naira should be reserved for
Nigerians. According to the delegates, it became imperative to
reject the recommendation because most of the abandoned
projected in the country have the involvement Nigerians. The
delegates further rejected the recommendation for the
establishment of E-Commerce Council for all business
transaction. The committee recommended a tax holidays for
all publicly quoted companies and that local textiles be
exempted from Value Added Tax for five years, while
recommending for an anti thrust law to prevent monopoly.
They also agreed for special welfare packages for elderly
people and physically challenge and that government should
pay up local debt amounting to N1 trillion to encourage cash
flow.

Source vanguard