Buhari signs bill on lawmakers’ immunity, seven others into law
Published January 27, 2018

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 the legislative houses in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly immunity from litigation for actions taken in plenary or committee proceedings.

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 the 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.

The Act, establishing the institute, widens her powers to include powers to provide training courses and award degrees on democracy, party politics, the electoral process, legislative practice and procedures.

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

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

Others are 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.