THE ONLY ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES POWER CAN'T BUY?

THE ONLY ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES POWER CANT BUY?

The primary reason for establishing, anti-graft agencies is not unconnected to the western governments, to check public officers about their financial transactions. The Economic financial crimes commission (EFCC) and independent corrupt practices commission (ICPC) is mandated, to check such in Nigeria. Over the years they have struggled not to be, but an instrument against the disobedient one.

Majorly, the greatest challenge facing Nigeria and Africa at large is corruption, it has eaten deep into our democratic system, and has become epidemic affecting our socio-political and economic life. How to fight it becomes a problem, because one of the Marxism of equity says  ‘He that wants equity must come with clean hands’. The question is, is our anti-graft agency coming with clean hands? What are their algorithms in arraigning a suspect?

However, there are controversial issues surrounding the anti-graft agencies since inception under Rtd gen, Olusegun Obasanjo regime, the first chairman of the Economic financial crimes commission, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, was mandated to search publicofficers, with financial crimes, the agency did its best, but when cases involving the sacred cows is unveil, he was sacked and probed by the anti-graft agency. Same, is happening to the immediate past chairman of the agency Mrs Farida Waziri, who knows Ibrahim Lamode could be the anti-graft messiah.

Furthermore, political interference has encapsulated these agencies, no wonder the Independent corrupt practices commission (ICPC) is regarded as a toothless bulldog. The political countenance on our anti-graft agencies has hindered it from being independent. All strife’s and agitation to emancipate it by the body prove abortive. See the case of the former speaker of the senate Mr Dimeji Bankole, when he was in detention, the best thing the attorney general could do is to challenge the Economic financial crimes commission (EFCC) of harassing public officers, he accuses them of not following the due process and compared the issue if it were to be United States of America, just because one of the cow is involved.

Status quo, those who are involved in huge financial scandal gets bailed while in detention or rather going to courts and gets bailed with some whopping amount of money, and thereby discharge and acquitted in which a common man will face the full measure of the law. Creating an independent financial crimes court has erupt, controversies in the nation, but I hold this view that if there are special courts for industries and trade for easy adjudication of related cases, why is it so hard, for the authorities to carve out financial crimes court. There are plethora cases pending, before each state’s high court involving financial crimes  and thereby delaying viable judgments an exposing the seat of the judiciary to suspicion.

Clueless policies have envelope our anti-graft agencies and the nation at large and its hampering its effort towards achieving such awkward task. Selfish desire and the willingness of Nigeria’s politician to perpetrate in corruption has impede the view of making the anti-graft agencies so autonomous, why won’t there be political interference when the agencies are under the office of the minister of justice and attorney general. Their actions have shown they are enjoying on a roller coaster with corruption.

What is the essence of transforming the nation when the feel of corruption is everywhere and the government pretends not to know? The reason d’etre of this article and what constitutes our anti-graft agencies is the political will on the anti-graft agencies is hindering the activities of the agencies. Make them autonomous, give them special financial crimes court, to adjudicate properly at their own jurisdiction, and the idea of a Rtd judge would be the chairman of the Economic financial crimes commission should be nullified, because is a way of relatively making the agency loose as much as possible. But my only fear is that Nigeria is yet to make a sordid decision on this issue. Transforming the Nation without transforming the anti-graft agencies is a De je vu.

FADESIRE TEMITOPE

LASGOS STATE UNVERSITY STUDENT.