By Demola Abdulkadir
Fellow Nigerians, the hope and future of Nigeria has not been so dampened by corruption as orchestrated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as we are witnessing now within and outside the country.
The EFCC was established in 2003 by President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration through the National Assembly Act 2004 as amended, in response to international pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) against money laundering which named Nigeria among the 23 non-cooperating countries in the international community’s effort against money laundering.
Prior to the establishment of the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had existed with a mandate covering investigation of money laundering offences. Suffice to say that the failure of the Nigerian Police in its mandate – for whatever reason – brought about the national embarrassment of naming Nigeria among the 23 non-cooperating countries in the international fight against money laundering. In other words, Nigeria was one of the safest heavens for money laundering and launderers.
Ironically, the pioneer chairman of the then newly established commission was from the same NPF, even though the EFCC establishment Act provided several options. That was a clear indication that the pioneer chairman Nuhu Rubadu must have been an outstanding police officer with the necessary criteria to administer and operate the new institution. Nevertheless, independent inquiries from majority of the EFCC pioneer personnel and the present situation in the commission is very telling about the lack of proper foundation and necessary structures which are fundamental to the birthing of any enduring and independent institution.
Yes, police officers are better known for operational duties than administration. This has been evident in the EFCC when, only few months after the pioneer chairman was appointed, he commenced operations — arrest — immediately with the few cases he brought then from the police without first bothering about the necessary formal structures of the commission (office structure, organisational policy document, standard operational procedure, institutional culture/ethics and values, official code of conduct, career progression, standard criminal and recovery data base etc.) which are the basic and fundamental steps for organisation, growth and development of any institution. The lack of these foundational and basic requirements has created a huge administrative and even operational vacuum that remains the bane of the EFCC till date.
Rather than address this obvious challenges and self-imposed calamity, successive administrations or leadership of the EFCC continued to take advantage by administering the institution at their individual whims and caprices, hence there is practically no system to check their excesses or abuses of power till date.
Many personnel of the commission, especially the operatives, hold same belief that lack of proper foundation and subsequent neglect to address it was a deliberate plot by the usual police leadership and the seconded personnel to perpetuate themselves and continuously place the commission under subjugation and control.
So, rather than build the institution around structures, policies and systems, the EFCC, in the last 15 years, has built around the privileged individual police leadership.
Meanwhile, as they build themselves into strongmen, instead of a strong institution, EFCC grew weaker and has since degenerated into a cesspool of corruption. This was possible because the police cabal knew they had a mother organisation to run to should anything happen to the EFCC unlike the over four thousand EFCC staff and operatives.
Therefore, attempt to revive and restore the EFCC and Nigeria’s battered image right now must be holistic, to allow the EFCC function as the independent law enforcement agency it was created to be. If the NPF was that good, there wouldn’t have been need for the EFCC. The police has to be disengaged from the commission completely and, forthwith, to allow the EFCC take its destiny in its own hands and be responsible for its actions and otherwise.
Police greed, corruption in the EFCC
It is no longer news that the NPF makes and mars the EFCC. Recently, Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu could no longer hide the proclivity of the police highest authority to annex the EFCC as a police department when he issued a directive/signal withdrawing all policemen serving in the commission and, at the same time, posting new ones to take over their duties “with immediate effect”. This is the height of impunity. Even if it is possible that the IGP can withdraw his men from the commission at will, he has no legal basis to post any of his men to the commission without any formal request from the commission.
We call the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, social crusaders and rights’ activists, as well as other well-meaning Nigerians, to stand up for the commission before it is sunk by the NPF. The IGP needs to be called to order immediately to stop trampling on the career and future of over 4,000 personnel of the EFCC who will not hesitate to embark on mass protest against any further interference that undermines the commission.
The NPF must be reminded now that the EFCC has never been a ‘police department’ to be micro-managed, run or administered by the IGP. The EFCC remains an independent institution as the directive of the IGP is contrary to the provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act and the Public Service Rules on secondment and de-secondment of public officers. Since inception of the EFCC, the police authority has continuously lobbied to retain its leadership of the EFCC, thereby populating the commission with its men for pecuniary benefits at the expense of the commission that no longer has any need for them. Their forced presence and illegal entitlement bred corruption, career stagnation, tyranny, unprofessionalism and ineffectiveness in the commission.
The NPF has turned itself to a new colonialist and imperialist in the EFCC, such that the EFCC operatives who are senior in rank, better qualified, exposed, educated and trained both locally and internationally in economic and Ffinancial crimes investigation are now relegated to the background while their ‘seconded’ men hold sway in all the strategic positions of the commission. Despite the fact that the pioneer cadet officers (Course 1) of the commission are now qualified for the chairmanship position by law, ‘seconded’ police officers are being favoured to head almost all the EFCC zonal offices across the country.
In order to perpetually retard the officers of the commission, the police leadership in the commission, especially in the last five years, has refused to conduct promotion examination for the commission’s officers, while its officers were promoted regularly in their mother organisation, even without any written examination. In order to suppress any form of independence of the commission, the police leadership refused to de-second all mobile police men from the commission after spending hundreds of million to train the commission’s armed mobile detectives in the Nigeria Defence Academy. Despite receiving the best of arms’ training from the Nigerian military, these extremely gallant set of detectives have been deprived of their duties for which they were recruited and reduced to mere messengers in the office.
In addition, trainings that are meant to enhance capacity-building for core personnel of the commission are being hijacked by ‘seconded’ police officers who should not, legally, stay beyond few years in the commission except where they abuse and violate extant rules (as many of them have been found doing to stay permanently in the commission). Now that the EFCC has come of age, all relevant stakeholders i.e the Executive, National Assembly etc., must immediately review the EFCC Establishment Act, with a view to amending the relevant sections that will strengthen the EFCC as a strategic, independent, more efficient, effective, professional and proactive institution that will be better placed in the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.
Areas in need of urgent amendment
(A) Sections 2: (i) (a) ii which states that “be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or it equivalent; and’’. Rather, an amendment is proposed to read thus: “be a serving or retired EFCC law enforcement officer not below the commission’s rank of deputy detective commander (GL I6) or its equivalent in a relevant government security or law enforcement agency”.
Reason for proposed Amendment
The EFCC has since evolved beyond the provision of section 2 (i) (a) ii which has become obsolete and no longer in tandem with the present reality of the commission. It is obvious that, as at the time of drafting the act, the commission was new, had no operatives and ranking system of its own, hence the police ranking system was used to bench-mark the qualification for office of the chairman. Now the commission has its ranking system and operatives who are best qualified for the position. Also, for institutionalisation, independence, career progression, growth and development.
(B) Section 3; (2) which states thus: “A member of the commission may, at any time, be removed by the President for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct or if the President is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the commission or the interest of the public that the member should continue in office”. Rather, amendment is proposed to read thus: “A member of the commission may at any time be removed by the President subject to the consent of 2/3rd majority of the senate of the federal republic of Nigeria for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct or if the President is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the commission or the interest of the public that the member should continue in office”.
Reason for proposed amendment
In view of section 2; (3), if the Senate is required in the hiring/appointment of the chairman of the commission, the Senate should also be required for the firing/disengagement. No doubt this will enhance stability, professionalism, independence, strengthen and insulate the commission from unnecessary political interference or manipulation as in the case of CBN, INEC etc.
(C) Section 4 which states thus: “Where a vacancy occurs in the membership of the commission, it shall be filled by the appointment of a successor to hold office for the remainder of the term of office of his predecessor, so, however, that the successor shall represent the same interest as his predecessor”. Rather, amendment is proposed to read thus: “where a vacancy occurs in the membership of the commission, no one shall be in office in acting capacity for a period more than six (6) months. It shall be filled by the appointment of a successor to hold office for a term or remainder of the term of himself or his predecessor, so however that the successor shall represent the same interest as his predecessor”.
Reason for proposed amendment
This is to encourage standard, rule of law, global best practices, strong institution and due process. It is also to reduce leadership anxiety, over politicisation, uncertainty, sycophancy and abuse of office. There is no doubt that the above amendment will help to create an enduring and fully responsible institution. We must quickly be reminded that officers on secondment cultivate double loyalty and commitment. First, to their primary consistency (mother organization) and, second, to place of service or secondment.
Police imperialism and corruption in the EFCC
While anyone will appreciate the effort of the police at the formation of the EFCC, it must be emphasised that, after almost 16 years of mentorship, they must now exit without any further delay, as the EFCC and its personnel have come of age. Those familiar with the operations of the EFCC know that the professional work force of the Ccommission are the vibrant and intelligent core officers. It is no longer news that police officers pay huge sum and lobby to be posted to the commission which they regard as “local mission” for pecuniary opportunities.
It is not surprising that almost all the key departments of the commission are headed by ‘seconded’ police men, most of whom are junior in rank, less trained, less educated, less experienced compared to their EFCC counterparts who have been exposed to professional trainings both locally and internationally. The police colonialism and imperialism in EFCC must be rejected by all well-meaning Nigerians, the law enforcement and intelligence community. As at today, the NFIU that was just severed as department in EFCC, is now more independent, organised and focused than the EFCC of 16 years after they were granted autonomy about 3 years ago.
