20
October
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Bill to scrap ICPC fails in Senate
Senator Ita Enang
A bill seeking to scrap the Independent Corrupt Practices and other-related Offences Commission on the floor the Senate on Wednesday.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Ita Enang, who was forced to withdraw the bill last week for typographical errors noticed by senators, did the same thing on Wednesday when he sensed that his colleagues might put an end to it (bill) if put to vote.
Once a bill is shot down on the floor, it will not be reintroduced until after six months.
Enang, while leading the debate for the bill’s second reading, said it (bill) was to amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004 by transferring to and vesting certain and some of the functions of the ICPC in the EFCC and to accordingly repeal the ICPC Act.
He argued that although the bill was worded to repeal one Act and amend another, the intent of the bill was to merge the two anti-graft agencies.
Enang said, “It is to create a one stop agency or institution to handle in a coordinated manner, all corruption, financial crimes and other crimes of the generis, to give focus and direction and public confidence to the fight against corruption by whatever name called.
“The bill has nothing to do with the assertion of failure of success of either the ICPC or the EFCC, but a genuine effort to create a unified body to fight corruption, financial crime and matters of the nature.”
The lawmaker noted that there were obvious duplication of functions by the two agencies, citing some functions such as the education of the public against corruption, investigating reported cases of economic and financial crimes and preventing corruption through measures adopted by collaborating with heads of public bodies.
He said there were duplication in the responsibilities assigned to the agencies to eradicate financial crimes as well as practices aiding or facilitating fraud or corruption and the fostering of public support in combating corruption.
Speaking against the bill, Senator Galaudu Mohammed, said duplicity of functions was not enough to scrap the ICPC. He described the bill as a “short cut” to the fight against eradicating corruption in the country.
He said, “China has 18 agencies fighting corruption, the United Kingdom has five, so our two is not too much.”
Meanwhile, six professors, three bishops and lawyers have swelled the number of National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps in Akwa-Ibom State.
The corps is one of the preventive arms of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
A statement by the ICPC spokesman, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said this during a courtesy visit to the acting Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, in Abuja.
Umesi told the ICPC boss that many Nigerians of integrity who are members of organized groups had indicated their intention to join the volunteers to wage war against corruption.
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- News Source: The Punch
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