The House of Representatives has implored the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to change the perception of Nigerians that the agency is an attack dog used to settle political scores by the federal government.
The House advised EFCC to instead concentrate its energy in fighting financial and economic crimes within the ambit of established laws.
Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, Rep. Ginger Onwusibe, gave the charge when he led members of the committee on an oversight exercise to the anti-graft commission.
Rep. Onwusibe challenged the agency to improve its operational activities in combating economic and financial crimes by complying with the Act establishing it and other relevant laws in discharging its duties responsibly in order to dispel the notion held by some Nigerians that the agency is often being used for settling political scores.
The lawmaker assured the EFCC that the House will collaborate with it to actualize its mandate by enacting new laws or amending old ones, including providing the budgetary interventions, to enable the agency meet its challenges
He urged the agency to collaborate with sister agencies and desist from keeping suspects on the awaiting trial list in correctional centres nationwide
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“At this point let me add that a recent visit to the Maximun and Minimun Correctional Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos State, numerous suspects have been awaiting trial for over one year and yet we are all acquainted with the saying that justice delayed is justice denied.
“It is on this note that we call on the EFCC, attorney general of the federation and the judiciary to improve and ensure the administration of justice works and is efficiently delivered to the victims,” Rep. Onwusibe added.
He advised the agency to purge itself of rotten eggs in order to fight economic and financial crimes frontally, thereby stimulating the Nigerian economy.
Responding, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukeyede told members of the House committee that the commission was doing much in the fight against financial and economic crimes.
He said that the agency has so far recovered over N250 billion cash, millions of dollars and other foreign currencies, with over 3, 000 convictions, as well as receiving 17, 000 petitions while also investigating over 20, 000 cases with 4, 000 fresh cases pending.
Olukeyede revealed that the agency was expanding its dragnet to focus on how Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) expend their capital budget.
