September 28, (THEWILL) – The Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Abdulkarim Chukkol, has urged the media to continue to align itself with the progressive aspirations of Nigerians to reduce corruption to the barest minimum.
The EFCC chairman, who threw the challenge during a workshop on “Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes” held in Makurdi for media practitioners on Thursday, noted that the impact of the Commission on the economic life of the nation is acknowledged.
Represented at the occasion by the Zonal Commander, Makurdi Zonal Command, Mr. Friday Ebelo, the EFCC Chairman said through the Commission’s enforcement activities, recoveries running into several billions of naira have been recorded and the country’s anti-money laundering framework strengthened.
“A key component of this framework is the reinvigorated Special Control Unit against money laundering, which is driving the fight against money laundering and illicit financial flows among Designated Non- non-financial businesses and professions,” he said.
He decried the challenge faced by the Commission with the involvement of youths in cybercrime within the zone.
In a lead paper presented at the ceremony, the Assistant Commander of EFCC, Legal and Prosecution Department, Mr. Ramiah Ikhanaede, stressed the need to do more in preventive measures like public enlightenment as well as punitive measures such as prosecution to reduce or get rid of corruption in Nigeria.
He noted that Nigeria has been struggling with economic and financial crimes menace and has taken steps in terms of institutions’ establishment, law enactments and enforcement, and prosecution of offenders despite the enormous political, economic, legislative and stakeholders in the criminal justice system’s challenges in prosecuting economic and financial crimes.
Ikhanaede, therefore, advocates for the provision of sufficient funds and resources in investigation and prosecutions as such will improve the quality and number of cases handled given the increase of corruption menace in recent times.
According to him, statutory reforms in addressing the lacunas or gaps like the communities, by law enforcement, courts, and correctional sectors should rise to the occasion in the speedy dispensation of justice.
He further recommended the society change its materialistic culture of ‘get rich quick’ syndrome to an upgraded value system where hard work is celebrated and honesty rewarded.
“EFCC must train and retrain investigators and prosecutors to enhance professionalism in carrying out their work effectively and set up a good witness protection program in the Commission,” he said.
He called on the Commission to adjust its standard of assessing investigators and lawyers with only the number of convictions focusing on plea bargain cases but the number of civil, fundamental rights and criminal cases handled with a special focus on the quality and industry of Officers on a case-by-case basis.
He also calls for the training of judges and judicial officers and an increase in the number of judges and courts to daily handle EFCC cases, as well as the correctional centre to promptly produce defendants in courts for trial.
