A former minister of state for power and steel, Chief Goddy Ogbaga, has called for the retention of immunity clause in the country’s constitution.
Ogbaga, who was a minister during the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Wednesday.
He said the removal of the clause would pose serious distractions to the running of the government.
According to him, the removal would subject chief executives of states and the presidency to situations where they would be dragged into incessant legal disputes.
He said that protecting the president, the vice president, governors and their deputies from both civil and criminal prosecution would enable them to concentrate on the business of governance.
Ogbaga described governance as a serious task that needed full concentration by those saddled with the responsibility of improving the lot of the people.
“The chief executives need to be focused to concentrate on their jobs; the removal of immunity clause will make them prone to litigations.
“The attendant distractions from this will affect the smooth running of the government,’’ Ogbaga said.
He called on the National Assembly and the state assemblies to ensure that the immunity clause as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution was retained.
He maintained that the country was not yet democratically and politically matured enough to expose its chief executives to litigations.
“Our democracy is still evolving and the political system is not quite stable enough to allow for prosecution of the nation's chief executives.
“I know we will get there but for now, there is need to shield our chief executives from litigations that may come from political opponents to the detriment of the state,’’ he said.
Ogbaga also drummed support for retention of fiscal federalism as contained in the 1999 constitution adding that the arrangement had enabled states in the federation to benefit equally from the common wealth.
He added that the present revenue sharing formula had enabled economically less viable states to develop alongside the rich ones.
“The current revenue sharing formula as enshrined in the constitution has guaranteed even development of states in the federation and we are better off with it.
“Those who clamour for complete resource control are enemies of the system,’’ he said.
He extolled the ingenuity of the National Assembly in making the people to be part of the process that would give to Nigerians “the people’s constitution”.