The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) amended Act indicated that any Nigerian that is not a trained staff of the agency can no longer be appointed Chairman of the anti-graft agency. This means, a person to be so appointed must be a staff who has passed through the administrative structure of the agency.
In the amendment bill which was sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi representing Enugu North Senatorial District stated that the Chairmanship used to be appointed from outside until President Muhammadu Buhari changed the narrative when he appointed the current Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa who was a career EFCC operative. He argued that appointing a Chairman from inwards was helpful in understanding how the agency works perfectly.
In his lead debate on Tuesday, the lawmaker commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing a career EFCC operative as Chairman for the first time since the agency came into being in 2004, noting that passing the amendment bill into law means consolidating on steps taken by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Utazi further averred that appointing a career EFCC operative as Chairman would bring about a fundamental impact on the professionalization of the agency and guarantee the safety and security of the tenure for the headship of the Commission.
The lawmaker highlighted the thrust of the existence of EFCC in fighting corruption even as Nigeria is a signatory to several conventions across the globe.
“Since Nigeria joined other State Parties of signatories to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption 2000, and followed the path of other State Parties in the domestication of this Statute of Universal application in 2004, there has arisen genuine need to fine tune this piece of legislation to bring it up to speed in meeting with the best international practices, that there is.
“Top on this is the professionalization of the Commission in the fight against corruption. Since inception, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has taken it upon itself in the training of the staff in their Academy which situate at Karu on the latest and most innovative technological driven intelligence on combating terrorism and its financing, investigation of financial crimes, prosecution, accounting and audit, preventive and regulatory actions, money laundering and cross border recovery and repatriation of proceeds of crime, to name but a few.”
The lawmaker pointed out that the Chairman was being appointed from outside when the agency was new, but now that it has come a long way, the appointment has to be reverted inwards.
He continued: “This is very commendable and President Muhammadu Buhari has carved his name and administration in gold by this very singular action, and posterity will never forget him. All that is required of this Parliament is to endorse this Executive action by amending the EFCC Establishment Act to restrict non-trained EFCC staff from headship of the Commission, going forward.
“This will enhance professionalism in the service of this anti-graft agency.”
The general principle of the bill also recommended for Senate confirmation of the EFCC Chairman, the same manner as those of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
After debate on the bill, it was passed into law with Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan presiding.
