The
president said that his government does not interfere with the arrests and
prosecutions executed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He
said that all antigraft agencies within the country are operating
independently.
The
president spoke while inaugurating the National Prosecution Coordination
Committee, NPCC saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting high profile
financial and other criminal cases in the country at the presidential villa,
Abuja on Friday, May 27
The
committee which is headed by the Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami has other 19 members outside the
attorney-general.
Buhari
who spoke through his vice, Professor Yemi Osinabjo at the inauguration however
warned the committee to play by the book, eschewing all manners if sentiments
and prejudices. He said: "When you look at the way that the EFCC and other
law enforcement agencies have acted in recent times you will notice that they
are not under any kind of direction of influence of the President.
"They
are given the independence to act; they are given the authority and backing to
act in their own and to use their own discretion appropriately at all times.
You don't get any situation where the president says go get that person of back
off that person.
"It
is a very serious responsibility because it also involves making sure that
people are treated fairly or that people are not pursued by reason of bias or
any other such consideration." According to him, the committee also has
similar powers to that of EFCC as he said
"That
is the sort of responsibility placed on your own shoulders as well, the
responsibility to exercise prosecutorial power independently and without any
direction except of course from the learned Attorney-General who is the
constitutional and prosecutorial authority in the country."
The
president also charged the committee to ensure that the system was fair to all.
"When the system is fair everybody buys into it and it is not difficult
for people to relate with it and support it," he added.
Explaining
that government took into consideration the legal skills and integrity of the
committee members when constituting it, the president stated that every
prosecuting organ or agent had the responsibility to put in place a system that
"we ourselves would not be afraid to be subjected to".
He
said: "Given the nature of economic crimes and the enormity sometimes of
the money that is involved and the influence of those who may have to be
prosecuted, you need more than legal skills."
You
need men and women of strong character and courage who will not only be able to
turn down inducements of any kind but also act without consideration for tribe,
friendship, religion or any other parochial considerations.
"This
is a very important committee because the administration itself is committed to
ensuring that we are able to deal with not only question of corruption which is
a big item on our agenda but also other economic crimes. Terrorism has assumed
different shapes and proportions of late, and the vandalism that we see in
parts of the Niger Delta, which has affected so many different things including
oil production, power supply. "We are in a very crucial time in our social
development and a committee such as this is very necessary and historic because
I do not know of any other of such committee in the history of this country,''
Earlier in his remarks,
The
Attorney General and Justice Minister said that the committee comprised 12
ex-officio and eight external members of proven integrity and competence.
"The
aim is to ensure effective investigation and prosecution of high profile
criminal cases in Nigeria,'' the minister said.
He
added that the committee was not aduplication of the existing anti-corruption
agencies, saying it its mandate was to corroborate with the anti-graft agencies
for effective services.
Other
members of the committee included: Mr Taiwo Abidogun-Solicitor-General/Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Mr Dipo Okpeseyi, SAN; Mr Chukuma Machukwu,
SAN; Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, the Executive Secretary of the Presidential
Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption; Mr. M.S. Diri, Director of
Prosecution,Ministry of Justice; Mr. Pius Oteh, Esq; Okoi Obono-Obla Esq; Mrs
Juliet Ibekaku; Mr. Abiodun Aikomo, Esq; Mr. Kehinde Oginni, Esq; Mr. Salihu
Othman Isah-Special Adviser, Media & Publicity to the Attorney-General;
Al-Amin Ado Ibrahim, from the Office of the National Security Adviser; Nafiu
Yakubu; Tunji Oluborode, Esq; Eric Onokif Ifere Esq; Mrs Diane Okoko; Temitope
Adebayo, Esq; DIG Abdulrahman Yusuf, RTD and Sylvester Imhanobe, Esq, Secretary
to the Committee.
Meanwhile, The EFCC has received a very first petition
seeking the prosecution of former president Goodluck Jonathan, over alleged
mismanagement of $2.1billion released to the Office of the National Security
Adviser (ONSA) for arms purchase.
The
petition filed to the EFCC, came from a former member of the Enugu state House
of Assembly, Ikenna Ejezie, through his counsel, Barrister Osuagwu Ugochukwu.
Ejezie's petition becomes the first ever the EFCC will formally receive
demanding the investigation of Jonathan.
According
to a report on The Nation, the petition is also requesting the EFCC to invite
Jonathan for interrogation on why he made N400million public funds available to
a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Chief Olisa Metuh, for personal and private party use.
Both
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, were copied the petition.
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