The Senate has called for a new, reformed and rebranded Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This call was made on Tuesday at the commencement of the 9th Senate Legislative Anti Corruption Strategy Implementation Session by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Suleiman Kwari.
He advised that ninety per cent of investigation be done before arrest is effected.
“Media hype must stop. If you want to be effective forget the media, do the work and let your work speak for you,” he told EFCC officials.
Kwari disclosed that the 9th Senate was determined to ensure constant flow of information and engagement between the Senate and the EFCC.
Aliyu Wamakko, a former Sokoto State Governor, expressed concern on EFCC’s lean budgetary allocation for legal fees.
He demanded adequate provision for the purpose in the EFCC budget for effective prosecutorial activities.
Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mohammed Umar Abba, sought the support of the committee through appropriation.
On senators’ inquiry on seized vehicles, Abba expressed pain at the deteriorating state of assets in EFCC custody.
“We are working on this challenge, and I am sure the Attorney General of the Federation is coming out with a gazette so that this issue will be a thing of the past, not only vehicles, but landed properties,” he said.
On the whistle-blowing policy of the federal government, Abba said some members of the public had turned it to a tool for settling personal scores.
“It is true that the whistle-blowing policy has gone down, unlike what it was at the beginning where we received several reports from whistle-blowers. People started being mischievous. We have to tread carefully as people turned it into a personal vendetta tool against individuals.”
Abba revealed that the policy was being fine-tuned by the Ministry of Finance to make it more efficient.