Reps panel seeks more powers for EFCC to curb corruption

The house of representatives committee on financial crimes says it is working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on preventive measures against corruption.

Speaking at a workshop organised by the Barclays Global Consult Nigeria in Abuja, Ginger Onwusibe, chairman of the committee, said the anti-corruption agencies should not limit itself to only finding and prosecuting offenders.

The workshop was attended by over 100 state and elected local government officers from Jigawa state.

Represented by Austen Adesoro, clerk of the anti-corruption committee, the chairman said his panel is working to propose amendments to the EFCC act that would give it more powers in fighting against corruption.

“The 10th House of Representatives under the Speaker, Rt. Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, through the House Committee on Financial Crimes, apart from the oversight function of overseeing agencies, we believe in going an extra mile in the fight against corruption, which one institution cannot effectively do,” he said.

“We believe that fighting corruption should be a joint task.

“We don’t want to limit ourselves to exposing and prosecuting offenders alone, we want to apply preventive measures.”

Ola Olukoyede, chair of the EFCC, said 70 percent of the problem that Nigeria faces in the public sector is due to lack of fiscal transparency.

Represented by Chinwe Ndubueze, acting commandant of the EFCC academy, Olukoyede said Nigeria has not made a lot of progress because funds allocated for developmental purposes have been diverted.

“We cannot continue to play the game of ostrich, pretending to be interested in accountable governance while perpetuating practices that undermine accountability,” he said.

“Let me remind you all that as public officers, you occupy a vantage position to determine the fortune of this nation. Nigeria with all its human and natural resources has no business being poor.

“Corruption is the albatross that has held this nation captive.”