• Reverses decision to abolish death penalty 

• Passes bill for creation of addition LG in Imo

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja 

The House of Representatives developed cold feet on Thursday after rescinding its decision to strip vice-president, governors and deputy governors of immunity.

The green chamber had, on Wednesday, passed for second reading a bill seeking to remove the immunity conferred on the vice-president, governors and their deputies.

The bill, sponsored by Solomon Bob, seeks to promote accountability in public office by removing the immunity currently granted to the vice-president, governors, and their deputies.

However, at the plenary on Thursday, the House rescinded its decision after the House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, moved the motion.

Also, the House has also reversed its decision on the bill to abolish death penalty.

The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and six other lawmakers, seeks to amend Section 33(1) of the 1999 constitution.

Section 33(1) stipulates that “Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.”

The bill proposes to delete the phrase: “Save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.”

However, the House has passed for second reading a bill seeking to alter the 1999 Constitution as amended to create an additional local government area in Imo State to be known as Ideato West Local Government Area.

The bill, sponsored by Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, was passed at the plenary on Thursday.

Similarly, the House passed for second reading a Bill for an Act to establish the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State.

Leading the debate on the bill, the sponsor, Ugochinyere, said education remains the cornerstone of national development, and teacher training institutions play a pivotal role in ensuring the sustainability of a robust education system. 

He explained that Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, is already a fully operational Federal tertiary institution.

Ugochinyere recalled that in May 2015, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan upgraded the former College of Education to a full-fledged University of Education.

He added that its upgrade was later put on hold by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. However, President Bola  Tinubu  in October 2023, restored the upgrade of the college to a university status. 

The lawmaker lamented that up till now, there is no legislation or statute to provide the needed legal backing for its existence, hence this bill. 

Ugochinyere stated: “The need to grant full statutory recognition to this university aligns with the broader goal of strengthening Nigeria’s education sector and creating more pathways for academic and vocational training. 

“Other institutions have undergone similar transitions, including Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo State and Federal College of Education, Zaria, both of which have received legislative support for their transformation into universities.

“This bill seeks to provide the necessary legal and administrative framework to formalize the status of the university, ensuring that it functions efficiently under a clearly defined law,  governance structure and academic model that meets national and international standards.”

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