Friday, May 10, 2024 –The Senate has approved the death sentence as a penalty for drug traffickers in the country, as it passes through the third reading, the 2024 NDLEA Act (Amendment) Bill.
The proposal was adopted on Thursday when
the Senate dissolved into a committee of the whole for a clause-by-clause
consideration of a report of the Chairman of the Committees on Judiciary, Human
Rights & Legal Matters and Drugs & Narcotics National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Senator Tahir Munguno.
In a review of the penalty provisions of
the amendment bill towards strengthening the operations of the agency, a
proposed amendment to award a death sentence to drug traffickers rather than
just a life sentence was raised by the Senate Chief Whip and Sen. Peter
Nwebonyi Under clause 11.
When the matter was put to a voice vote, it
appeared the nays had it. However, when the question was put on a second vote,
the Deputy Senate President ruled in favour of the i’s. A slight uproar ensued
as some lawmakers were displeased.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole expressed his
displeasure over what he considered a hasty consideration and passage of the
amended clause.
The Deputy Senate President rejected an
objection by Senator Oshiomhole to reverse the ruling, insisting that it came
late which is against the rules.
The upper chamber also commenced the review
of salaries, allowances and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in
Nigeria in a bid to curb bribery and corruption and ensure independence of the
judiciary.
The executive bill seeking to prescribe the
salaries of the judicial office holders both at the federal and state levels
scaled second reading on Thursday and is expected to nip in the bud, the
prolonged stagnation in remuneration to reflect the current socio-economic
realities.
Even though the bill was unanimously
embraced, some lawmakers canvassed that in the face of the current economic
hardship, salaries/ remuneration of Nigerians in other sectors be equally
reviewed.
The bill was, thereafter, referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters to report back in four weeks.
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