Marafa, who is also the spokesperson of the Senate Unity Forum, while speaking with Punch described the proposed amendments as “dead on arrival.”
He said, “What my colleagues are trying to do is laughable because it’s an effort in futility. It is a constitutional issue.
“Are they trying to amend the Constitution of Nigeria with an act of the National Assembly?
“The sections they are trying to amend are clearly stated in the constitution and could only be reviewed through a legally acceptable constitution amendment process.”
Describing some of his colleagues who have been sponsoring some bills as new comers, Marafa said “They are new comers who lack basic parliamentary knowledge and experience.”
Marafa noted, “They had listed for amendments, Public Officers Protection Act; Administration of Criminal Justice Act; Code of Conduct Bureau Act and the Code of Conduct Tribunal Act.
“Their intention is to alter all these constitutional provisions just because of an individual. How can you anchor bills amendments around an individual?
“I don’t know how they want to alter the constitution to extend immunity clause to the senate president when it is only the president, vice-president and the governors that are covered in the constitution.”
The Senate’s Unity Forum spokesman urged other Senators to stop making the institution a laughing stock in the public by trying to carry out legislative activities with the sole aim of frustrating the trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the CCT.
“Instead of learning the ropes, even senior lawyers among the new senators are jumping the gun by initiating bills to save their boss from criminal prosecution.
“All of them should be dragged before the Senate Committee on Ethics for smearing the image of a reputable institution like the Senate,” he said.
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