EFCC Blows Hot as 16 Governors Approach Court to Scrap Its Operations
- The EFCC has strongly opposed efforts to scrap the agency, warning that this would cripple Nigeria’s fight against corruption
- EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren defended the commission, criticizing the governors’ legal challenge as an attempt to derail anti-corruption efforts
- Uwujaren claimed that the governors behind the lawsuit are “feeling the heat” of the EFCC’s investigations and seeking to avoid accountability
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed its strong opposition to ongoing efforts to scrap the agency.
The agency likewise warned that such a move could cripple Nigeria’s fight against corruption.
Source: UGC
This comes as 16 state governors approach the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the EFCC’s establishment, Channels Television reported.
The governors, led by the Kogi State Government, have filed a suit at the Supreme Court, questioning the constitutional validity of the EFCC’s establishment.
The suit has been joined by governors from Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross River, and Niger States.
The hearing is set for October 22nd, raising nationwide debate over the future of Nigeria's foremost anti-graft body, The Punch reported.
EFCC spokesman defends commission
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, October 21, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren criticized the governors' legal challenge, calling it an attempt to derail the country’s anti-corruption efforts.
He said:
“Nigerians should see through this shenanigan and oppose it because I don’t see how this country can survive without the EFCC with the kind of corruption problem that we have. Nigeria cannot do without the EFCC.”
He further suggested that the governors behind the lawsuit were "feeling the heat" of the EFCC's ongoing anti-corruption investigations and were attempting to avoid accountability.
Uwujaren argued that those calling for the scrapping of the EFCC were doing so for personal reasons.
“What you see playing out is simply people who are feeling the heat of the work of the EFCC and they want to derail what is going on,” he said.
He insisted that the agency’s creation is backed by law and remains a key pillar in Nigeria’s fight against corruption.
“They simply want to derail the fight against corruption because they don’t want accountability in their domains,” he added.
“EFCC's unconstitutionally established”: Agbakoba writes NASS
In another report, Legit.ng reported that a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, has called on the national assembly to convene a public hearing to consider constitutional issues surrounding the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Agbakoba said the EFCC is unconstitutionally established and is an unlawful organisation.
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Source: Legit.ng
