Senate introduces new bill to cripple EFCC’s control of NFIU

Barely 24 hours after it indicted top government officials, over the suspension of Nigeria by Egmont Group, the Senate has introduced a bill for an Act to create the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIU).‎

When created, NFIU will cease to be under the control of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Senate said that it would give accelerated hearing to the bill so as to ensure that the NFIU becomes independent before the January 18, 2018 deadline, given by Egmont Group.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, shortly after the bill was read for the first time, instructed the Senate Committee on Rules and Business to schedule it for debate next Tuesday, during which its second reading would be done.

Adopting a motion which was sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi on Wednesday, the Senate resolved to pass a law creating a substantive and autonomous Nigeria Financial intelligence Unit, NFlU, and make the Unit legally and operationally autonomous with powers for the employment, reward training, promotion and discipline of its workforce independently.

Read also: Senate to begin clause by clause debate of reviewed 1999 Constitution Tuesday

Briefing Senate Correspondents shortly after Thursday’s session, the Senate spokesman, Aliu Abdullahi Sabi, explained that the Senate was committed to enacting the law in good time to boost the anti-corruption fight of the Federal Government.

Sabi noted that when properly reorganised, the agencies that will benefit from the activities of the EGMONT Group will include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and many other relevant governmental agencies.

The Senate had equally noted that “the EGMONT Group suspended Nigeria for a number of reasons including the fact that the NFIU which is the body that represents Nigeria in the Group has not been granted operational autonomy as well as the fact the Unit is still domiciled within the EFCC, a situation the Group has objected to over the years.”

Another reason for the suspension according to the Senate, is the alleged “meddlesomeness of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC in the affairs of the NFIU by his interference in the operations and staffing of the Unit leading to the departure of many competent hands.”
By Ehisuan Odia…

 

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