The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), disclosed recently its renewed vigour in the fight against corruption which has culminated in the conviction of 139 suspects prosecuted for alleged money laundering and other financial crimes. Can the anti-graft agency win the war against corruption? KEHINDE OSASONA asks
Overview
In 2006, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission disclosed that about $20 trillion was stolen from the treasury by leaders who had access to the nation’s funds between 1960 and 2005. Dapo Olorunyomi, the then Chief of Staff to the former anti-graft commission Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu confirmed that the figure was sourced from the records of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
According to Olorunyomi, the amount looted was six times the amount needed to rebuild Europe after World War II, saying it’s saddening to know that the bulk of the stolen fund came after year 2000.
He said: “It is rather appalling that as at year 2000, record showed that $100-billion had been stolen, with an external debt of $33-billion.”
Further confirmation
Also, IRN Security, a UK Firm confirmed in a report that Nigeria has lost $400 billion in oil revenue since its independence in 1960. According to the global crude industry security watchdog, the money was lost to mismanagement and theft.
The released report stated that Nigeria has raked in over $600 billion from oil within the same period.
“From the $600 billion in oil revenue that has flowed into the government’s account since the country’s independence in 1960, an estimated $400 billion has been diverted, misspent or stolen,” IRN said.
Reiterating war against corruption
And reiterating its readiness to continue the fight against corruption in the country, EFCC spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, had, in a statement, revealed that the Ibrahim Magu – led anti-graft agency has convicted 139 suspects for alleged money laundering and other financial crimes between January and June, which according to him, is an improvement on the 89 convictions recorded in May.
The figure, according to Uwujaren, is the aggregate of the 103, 195 and 189 convictions recorded in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. It also includes the 116 convictions recorded in the first five months of this year.
Uwujaren further said the commission has remained consistent in its efforts to changing the negative narrative of pervasive corruption in the system, and altering the general perception that there are some people who are above the law.
He said: “The EFCC has literally altered the narrative of the fight against corruption in Nigeria through aggressive tracing and recovery of stolen assets.
“For the first time too, judges and top military officers, including retired Service Chiefs are being prosecuted for corrupt enrichment, particularly, as it includes the conviction of two Political Exposed Persons, PEPs – Jolly Nyame, a former governor of Taraba and Joshua Dariye, a serving Senator and a former governor of Plateau, who are both currently serving their 14-year jail sentence for criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds, and receiving gratification.
“The EFCC, under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu, has recorded a ground-breaking conviction, including for the first time in the history of the country, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Nwobike’s conviction.
“Over N500 billion has been recovered in the last three years by the agency, while the impunity with which public fund is stolen has been curtailed substantially as people have come to the realisation that there are consequences if one is found to have illegally dipped hands in the public till.”
X-raying NASS’ ‘indifference’
As the fights against corruption persist, it is argued in some quarters that Nigeria’s lawmakers’ disposition towards the corruption scourge has not been encouraging.
But dispelling the negative impression, Senate President Bukola Saraki, during a recent visit to the new EFCC headquarters, pledged the National Assembly’s support towards building and strengthening the nation’s institutions.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, Saraki said he was duty bound to visit the completed (EFCC) edifice project as part of his oversight functions in view of the contributions of the National Assembly to its realisation, saying the institutions will help the nation tackle corruption, and on completion, it is expected to serve as the operating base for the anti-graft body.
He said: “If you look at most projects in Abuja, I don’t think any project like this has been well-funded and that shows that despite all the noise you will hear, the National Assembly has supported where it matters, because this is where it matters and I think we have done that.
“If you look at what has been achieved in the last two and half years in putting this building up and bringing it to completion, I think it is a remarkable achievement.
“We might disagree on what those right things are, but at the end, we must ensure that we build institutions, we support institutions and do what is right and we must continue to do that.”
Explaining further, he said the fight against corruption must continue in order to bequeath a better future to both present and upcoming generations.
“I think we have all said it. Corruption is something we must fight there is no way you can build a society without fighting corruption.”
Continuing, Saraki said: “I have always said that my own strong will is that as we fight it, we must fight it in ensuring that we strengthen the institutions and what you see here is part of the process of strengthening that institutions so that whoever comes here will know that this is what we must fight if we want to build institutions.”
During a similar visit to the new EFCC headquarters, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara tasked the anti-graft agency to take the fight against corruption a step further by ensuring complete prosecution of corruption cases in the country.
He said: “The commission has no excuse not to discharge its constitutional duties, especially with its new state-of-the-art facility.”
Collaboration and results
By all indications, previous efforts by the anti-graft agency appear to have brought about strong collaboration between it and partners in the anti-graft war.
In a bid to intensify the fight against corruption across the federation, an intending partner of the anti-graft agency, YIAGA Africa’s Accountability and Social Justice Team, recently met with officials of the agency on its Bounce Corruption Project, where it reeled out the possibility of both institutions becoming partners in the anti-graft war.
Elaborating on the essence of the project, supported by the MacArthur Foundation YIAGA’s Program Officer, Mrs. Tracy Keshi informed the commission its overall goal is to promote zero-tolerance for corruption and impunity through effective citizens’ oversight and mobilisation for open and accountable governance.
With all this, stakeholders are of the views that collaboration and networking will go a long way in helping the campaign against corruption and impunity in Nigeria. Therefore, they argue that all and sundry must be actively involved in the anti-corruption war to rid the society of the scourge.
