Ekweremadu ‘named’ anti-corruption ambassador

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday named Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, as its anti-corruption ambassador, according to his media aide.

According to a statement signed by Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu’s media assistant, Suleiman Bakari, national assembly liaison officer, disclosed this when he led a team of the anti-graft agency on a courtesy visit to Ekweremadu.

The statement quoted Bakari as saying the commission appreciates the deputy senate president for the role he had been playing in the fight against graft.

“Your Excellency, on behalf of my acting chairman, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu and the entire management and staff of the EFCC, I decorate you as an anti-corruption ambassador and formally present this frame, as a token of our appreciation to your person and office, and as a symbol of institutional partnership between the EFCC and the national assembly,” Bakari said.

He appealed to the national assembly to ensure adequate funding for the agency, and also advocated speedy passage of all the anti-corruption bills before it.

Ekweremadu appreciated the gesture, and called for the establishment of special anti-corruption courts to reduce the burden on regular courts.

He also said the establishment of the special courts would help in fast-tracking the corruption trials.

“Setting up special courts, is one of the surest ways to help the fight against corruption, as it would ensure speedy adjudication of corruption cases,” he said.

“I have been an advocate of special courts for the trial of corruption cases and I believe that other countries, who have enacted laws establishing such, are not fools because there are benefits to be derived there from. The idea is to expedite trial to make sure that those who are involved in corruption matters will have their day in court.

“When we have special courts, just as we have the National Industrial Court, such courts will do better than they are doing now.

“The establishment of special courts is not just something that will be done by an Act of the National Assembly. We have to amend the constitution to bring it about under section 6, for the purpose of trying corruption cases.”