The House of Representatives yesterday held a public hearing on three controversial Bills. They include to approve state-owned flags to fly side by side with the national flag of Nigeria, one on immunity clause for lawmakers and another to legalise lobbyists in the National Assembly.‎

In his speech at the hearing organised by the House Committee on Justice, chairman of the committee, Hon Ali Ahmad (PDP, Kwara), said the bills had serious legal implications and must be treated seriously.

Speaking on the Lobbyist bill, he explained that it is a bill that has the potential of impacting positively on the internal workings of the National Assembly.

Ahmad added that they were being extremely careful with the bill because "it is all about legislative process and we as legislators cannot be judges in our matter."

Speaking on the second bill, which is also a legislative process bill, he said that it aimed to give the legislature the desired powers and immunity to be able to carry out its legislative responsibility.

On the review of the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act, he it was  long overdue since it was enacted before Independence.

"The immunity is only to give immunity to members of the National Assembly against prosecution for words spoken on the floor of the House or at committees to allow legislators exercise their freedom of debate without fear of prosecution," he said.

Hearing on the Symbols Act had to be postponed since there is a court action pending at a Federal High Court in Lagos against the House of Representatives in the portion of the Bill related to the National Anthem.

The suit was instituted by the children of the composer of the anthem, the late Pa Benedict Odiase.