The current virulent outbursts on a nationwide tv Programme by a UK-based Nigeria lawyer, Professor Fidelis Oditah, requires severe concern because it was nothing in need of corruption preventing again.
One is bowled over that Professor Oditah, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), although removed from house, may go on a nationwide tv’s reside programme to show or feign such lack of know-how in regards to the EFCC’s Institution Act, operations and up to date sterling accomplishments of the Fee, particularly below the present, extensively acclaimed, management of Ola Olukoyede as Chairman.
The unrestrained assaults on the EFCC by the professor and his startling feedback trivialising the difficulty of corruption and the unrelenting efforts and commendable achievements of the Fee within the final one 12 months, leaves a lot to be desired. One can’t settle for that the professor, although overseas based mostly, is unaware of the developments and achievements of the EFCC within the final one 12 months, even on this age of the web.
Slightly, one suspects that corruption is preventing again. Having did not garbage the EFCC and its Chairman, by means of simulated assaults by its native recruits, Nigeria’s politically uncovered individuals present process corruption trials, may need chosen to ‘increase’ its effectively oiled propaganda machine by recruiting overseas based mostly “opinion specialists”.
Paradoxically, the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Christopher Wray, from the UK, the place Oditah has lengthy been ensconced, paid historic go to to the EFCC headquarters, commending the Fee on the feat attained within the struggle towards corruption and monetary crimes and looking for extra collaboration with the EFCC of their shared mandate of preventing corruption and monetary crimes throughout the borders. The go to was the primary of its form within the annals of the EFCC.
Wray expressed confidence and appreciation to the Fee for its skilled dealing with of transnational financial and monetary crimes, particularly cybercrimes and sextortion; and pledged stronger cooperation with the Fee.
The renewed attraction of overseas regulation enforcement/anticorruption companies to the EFCC below Olukoyede has been unprecedented and strongly anchors on the brand new face of the struggle towards financial and monetary crimes. The brand new skilled method of the Fee resonates effectively with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), resulting in positives outcomes and result-oriented synergies.
Additionally, on September 6, 2024, the EFCC boss handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the sum of $180,300 (about N310,000,000) and 53 autos price a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of naira; being belongings recovered for Canadian victims of Nigerian fraudsters.
Representing the Canadian authorities and the RCMP on the handover ceremony have been Robert Aboumitri, First Secretary, Deputy Excessive Fee of Canada and Nasser Salihou, Liaison Officer and Programme Supervisor, RCM.
The EFCC has additionally been making exploits with the Spanish Police. On September 20, 2024, Olukoyede handed over €5,100, about N9.5million, proceeds of crime to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Ignacio Promote, being the sum recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster for Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, a Spanish sufferer, by the EFCC in collaboration with the Spanish Police.
It might subsequently be discerningly deduced that Oditah’s vituperations weren’t solely out of contact with realities on floor regarding the EFCC, but in addition, most likely, stemmed from the spurs of the political clique that’s significantly sad with EFCC, because it continues to the touch and places on trial, the hitherto “untouchables” and “sacred cows”.
Because the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, places it: “There is no such thing as a denying the truth that the revered professor goofed in all his feedback in regards to the EFCC and his views aren’t reflective of the realities on floor regarding the anti- corruption struggle of the federal government.”
Nonetheless, it’s good and reassuring to notice that Ola Olukoyede stays unperturbed, undeterred and undaunted in his dedication to delivering the constitutional mandate of the EFCC.
As he declared in a cost to the EFCC operatives after mandating all of them to declare their belongings for verification: “Don’t be drained. They are going to name us names. They are going to abuse us. However we are going to stay on our ft and pursue the mandate that was given to us by the (EFCC) Act. We’ll struggle this battle. I guarantee you that there will likely be mild on the finish of the tunnel. We’ll win ultimately. Nigeria will win.”
Osifisan, a Social Coverage Advocate, is the Programme Coordinator on the Abuja-based Journalists Towards Corruption.
