Nigerian anti-corruption campaigners appear excited over the current “reawakening” of the nation’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), attributing the development to the perceived leadership charisma of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Ibrahim Lamode-led anti-graft agency recently made several headlines with the arrests of some former governors and other notable individuals whose prosecution has suffered some form of hiccups.
It would be recalled that the EFCC recently went against Ikedi Ohakim, former Imo State governor, who is being accused of owning a number of property acquired through public funds when he presided over Imo. Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa State, who was accused of fraud totalling several billions of naira, was also questioned in that regard. Ali Modu Sheriff, a former Borno State governor, had earlier submitted himself to the Commission.
Adeleye Adewole, chairman, Centre For Organisational and Professional Ethics (COPEAFRICA), told BD SUNDAY that the current renewed efforts of the anti-graft agency was not unconnected with the emergence of Buhari as Nigeria’s President and that such was the beauty of having a leader with a proven character at the helm of affairs of any nation.
According to him, the body language of former President Goodluck Jonathan sent signals to the EFCC that the agency was funded by the executive arm of government and had no mind of its own, hence, the commission resorted to giving excuses that it had no money.
“The EFCC said it had no money before, but where is the money coming from now?” he asked. “We want the EFCC to go beyond arrest. We want those arrested to be fully prosecuted. We want to see action. The other day, a governor just walked by himself to the EFCC and begins to relate with them; that is not good enough. It is quite unfortunate that the EFCC is just waking up from its slumber. The emergence of Buhari as President is the reason for this latest noise from the EFCC. They are trying to be relevant so that they don’t lose their job because they know that there is going to be change”, he said.
According to him, Nigerians are waiting on President Buhari to give the nation an anti-graft agency that will be self-sufficient and independent of government and that the EFCC needs to be structurally rebuilt and given its own direct independent source of funds.
Babatunde Oluajo, public policy manager, Integrity, and former secretary, Zero Corruption Coalition, told BD SUNDAY that though President Buhari may seem slow in the eyes of many Nigerians, his body language was already causing repentance virtually in all sectors of national life.
“There is something leadership brings to bare in the act of governance. The former president may not have said anything to the EFCC, but his body language paralysed the EFCC. Under President Jonathan, individuals who were convicted for corruption were given a state pardon. That sent a message that you are only interested in winning election. It was the political and economic environment that choked the EFCC”, he said.
He said for President Buhari to be able to fight corruption successfully, he must look beyond the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and that there are over 25 institutions with corruption mandate including the police which must be given due attention.
It would be recalled that President Buhari recently restated his commitment to check impunity, lack of accountability, and fiscal recklessness in the management of national resources by state governors and other public office holders in the country.
He also hinted that efforts would be made by his government to recover stolen money meant for development and good of the people.
“The next three months may be hard, but billions of dollars can be recovered, and we will do our best, ” the President told the governors.”
NATHANIEL AKHIGBE
