Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, on Friday said the war against corruption had lost steam.
The former president of the West African Bar Association, therefore, called for a stakeholders’ conference to reposition the anti-corruption agencies, and give them the necessary powers to fight corruption the way it was done all over the world.
“There was a time in this country that if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission invited you for questioning, you will be shaking, but now the first thing that comes to the mind of suspects is who they can reach,” said Falana, who spoke in Abuja.
President Goodluck Jonathan had last Thursday directed the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission to focus on the states and local government areas in the fight against corruption in order to send a clear signal that no form of abuse would be tolerated.
Jonathan had expressed concern about the poor rating of the country on the Global Corruption Index, saying corruption was a monster that had to be defeated to protect the country’s integrity.
To win the fight, Falana said, “What is desirable is to have a holistic approach to the fight against corruption. All the stakeholders must sit down and agree on how to strengthen the anti-corruption agencies.
“It’s not about the status quo, but what happens in the future. How do we strengthen and make the agencies autonomous of government. One of the ministers has been indicted by a foreign court and the man proposed to head the ICPC is a card carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party. Is that how to fight corruption? How can you replace eminent jurists like Justices Ayoola or Akanbi with anybody who has not associated with the anti-corruption war?” Falana asked.
Falana advised the government not to play politics with the fight against corruption to avoid ridiculing the nation in the eyes of the world.
“If we are not careful we will be made the laughing stock of the world, Serious investigations of international dimensions, such as the Halliburton case, were messed up. America made over $2bn from fines. What did we make?” he said. “Let us go back to the drawing table and re-strategise.”
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Fight against corruption has lost steam – Falana
Fight against corruption has lost steam – Falana
NigerianEye
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Monday, July 18, 2011
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