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| The House of Representatives is working on the amendment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act to take stiffer measures against corrupt politicians. |
The amendment bill to the EFCC Act, 2004 sponsored by Hon. Bassey Ewa (PDP Cross Rivers), is also seeking the creation of special economic and financial courts, The New Telegraph reports.
Among other provisions of the bill include the stipulation of “quick recovery procedures for stolen assets; implement active pursuit of cases, build capacity and improve trust and cooperation with foreign counterparts, as well as ensure adequate funding of the commission.” According to the bill, corruption offences include: “the bribery of national public officials, bribery of foreign public officials and officials of public international organisations; embezzlement, misappropriation or other diversion of property by a public official; trading in influence; abuse of functions; illicit enrichment; bribery in the private sector; embezzlement of property in the private sector and laundering of proceeds of crime.” The proposed amendment bill states that “all convicted persons shall serve an imprisonment of a term not less than 20 years and have their ill-gotten property, accounts, or investment confiscated to the government.” The bill however, provided for plea-bargaining for any accused persons who accept to refund the total amount standing in his/her name, who shall be convicted for not more than two years, according to section 18 of the EFCC principal Act.
As for any company found guilty of contravening the Act, the bill proposes that such company would be banned from transacting business activities in Nigeria and have its assets and finances frozen. Section 3 (4) provides that: “any petitions against EFCC chairman or any of the member of staff from the public or private sector shall be submitted to the National Assembly, if upon investigation found culpable, a simple majority vote of members of National Assembly is required in considering the fate of the chairman or any affected member.” The National Assembly, according to, section 3 (5) of the bill shall be empowered to forward such recommendations to the Presidency for implementation, “but if the President objects to the removal of the chairman or any affected members of the commission, he shall communicate in writing to the National Assembly, advancing reasons against the removal of the chairman or any affected member within 30 days. However, the bill stated that: “a two-thirds majority vote of the National Assembly shall be required to veto the decision of the President for the affected member to be removed.” Meanwhile, Femi Aribisala, scholar and international affairs expert has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war. Giving a ten minute speech at a round table organized by the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law in the University of Lagos on Thursday, March 31, Aribisala says there is no mandate against corruption. Speaking at the event tagged “Winning the War Against Corruption”, an opportunity to launch the book ‘Legal Perspectives to Corruption, Money Laundering, and Assets Recovery in Nigeria,’ Aribisala added that if President Buhari was determined to fight corruption, he gave up after losing election three times.
