Buhari signs bill conferring immunity on lawmakers, okays seven others

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed eight bills earlier passed by the National Assembly into law.

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

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

Prominent among the bills signed into law is the Legislative Houses (Power and Privileges), Act 2018.

The Act 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.

According to Enang, 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.

– Punch