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Buhari assents to immunity for lawmakers

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7 years ago

January 26, 2018

Olu Emmanuel

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President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law a bill granting immunity to state and federal lawmakers in Nigeria.

He signed assented to seven others, too—all earlier passed by the National Assembly into law.

The brief signing ceremony was held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Ita Enang briefed State House Correspondents after the President signed the bills into law.

The Legislative Houses (Power and Privileges), Act 2018, grants members of Legislative Houses in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly immunity from litigation for actions taken in plenary or committee proceedings of the House or committee.

Enang said the law is meant to strengthen the power of the legislators to carry out their legislative functions.

The powers include powers to summon any person to appear before her, give evidence, including power of an officer of the legislative House to arrest any person who commits an offence against the Act.

Another bill signed into law was the National Institute of Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2018, which widens the institute powers to include powers to provide training courses and award degrees on democracy, party politics, electoral process, legislative practice and procedures among others.

President also assented to was the National Senior Citizens Centre Act, 2018.

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The Act establishes the National Senior Citizens Centre in the country to cater for the needs of senior citizens.

Others include Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement ) Act, 2018; Rail Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Act, 2018, Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018, Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Act, 2018 and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment), Act, 2018.