NBA slams AGF over calls for merger of EFCC, ICPC

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, Headlines, National Politics Thursday, July 21st, 2011

ABUJA – The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, slammed the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, over his recent call for merger of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC. According to the NBA, the suggestion is inimical to the anti-corruption war in the country.

The legal body, which made the declaration at the end of its first conference on criminal justice reform, further tasked the legislature to provide enabling environment for an urgent reform of the criminal justice sector.

It also itemized 10 separate bills that could effectively tackle the menace of Boko Haram and such other sectarian uprisings across the federation.

The NBA, in a statement through its National President, Chief J.B Daudu, SAN, condemned the suggestion of the AGF, stressing that it was totally selfish and anti-development.

“The Bar does not agree with the Attorney General or whoever made that suggestion. We believe that it manifested an over desire by someone who wants to gain total control of all the anti-graft agencies in the country.

“They should not only be independent but should be allowed to operate as such. It is our view that there is even need to have at least three or four more anti-corruption agencies in this country,” he added.

It would be recalled that the AGF had in the course of his screening before the Senate, flayed the operations of the two major anti-graft agencies in the country, insisting that they lacked the capacity to investigate and prosecute economic crimes.

He bemoaned that “when we at the Ministry of Justice try to guide these agencies, they complain of interference; it will be appropriate to merge these agencies so that they can effectively fight corruption.”

Meanwhile, while identifying reasons for the growing crisis in the administration of justice in Nigeria, NBA said it convened the conference, “having realised that an effectual criminal justice delivery is critical to national development, just as ineffectual criminal justice delivery is symptomatic of failing states.”

-Vanguardwp_posts