Posted by From Tony Akowe, Kaduna on
Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim yesterday said there are several ways of dealing with corruption by public office holders than the removal of the immunity clause from the Constitution.
Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim yesterday said there are several ways of dealing with corruption by public office holders than the removal of the immunity clause from the Constitution.
The governor, who spoke in Kaduna, Kaduna State, said with the way petition writers go unpunished, the removal of immunity clause would be counter-productive.
Ohakim addressed reporters at the end of the yearly public lecture organised by the Northern Development Initiative (NDI).
He said President Umaru Yar'Adua was alone in advocating the removal of the clause.
The President had on Wednesday in Abuja, venue of the Anti-Corruption Revolution (ANCOR) - a campaign by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) aimed at enlisting Nigerians in the war against corruption - said the removal of the immunity clause was imperative to the anti-corruption crusade.
Its removal, he said, would be a major step towards entrenching the fight against corruption.
Ohakim, however, said the President was entitled to his opinion.
His words: "Mr. President has the right to advocate for the removal of immunity clause but that is his own personal belief.
"Immunity Clause? Yes, there is time for everything; a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time for immunity clause and there will be a time to remove it, but as at today as I am standing here today (yesterday) in Kaduna, I don't think immunity clause should be removed and I will not support the idea."
Ohakim added: "But if by tomorrow, there are other parameters that have been proved, I will advocate for it (immunity clause) to be removed. I don't think it is ripe to talk about the removal of the clause, especially when those who write unnecessary petitions go scot-free without been punished.
"And it is these same people that will go and canvass for the removal of immunity clause. So, I don't think that will enable our economy to witness accelerated development."