Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, on Thursday faulted the law establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, saying it made the anti-graft body an unwitting tool of the President.
Nnamani spoke while delivering a lecture to mark the centenary anniversary of Ibadan Grammar School.
The former Senate President, who spoke on ‘Nigeria’s transformation and the leadership lessons from contemporary issues of national interest’, called for true independence of the commission.
According to him, the law establishing the EFCC has a hole in it.
He said, “The anti corruption agencies in the country should be given freedom to do their job without interference. Unfortunately, there is a big lacuna, particularly in the law creating the EFCC.
“Unlike the ICPC where the chairman can be fired by the president only with the consent of two-third majority of the National Assembly, the EFCC boss can unilaterally get fired by the President.
“When we were in the Senate, we made conscious effort to reverse the law. We noticed that EFCC was a mere tool in the hand of the president. We passed the bill but it was not signed into law.
“I am seizing this opportunity to urge the present senate to revisit the issue so as to put the anti-graft war in good stead. The Senate should look into the law establishing the EFCC with a view to reviewing it.”
He added that the country needed a transformational leader to take it to loftier heights.
Nnamani stated, “A transformational leader will empower the people economically, provide security and effect radical change.
“We have not yet conquered poverty. Kidnapping is still rife as well as robbery. The menace of Boko Haram still stares us in the face.
“Politics in Nigeria should be played as sports; we should remodel our politics after sports. Sports are about teamwork. To succeed, we should come together and be focused. What (Stephen) Keshi did to our sports, we can do to our politics.
“We say that there are potential in Nigeria. Possession of mere potential is not sufficient for us to succeed. Nigeria requires good leadership to transform radically the nation. It is encouraging that many of the governors are now making significant contributions in transforming their states.”
Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, said stakeholders’ support for education was necessary as no government could solely fund education.
He said, “Education is the bedrock of development. The old boys have made financial sacrifice in developing Ibadan Grammar School. This is noteworthy considering the importance of foundational education.
“In any nation, the support of the public is very crucial. It is important to pay attention to primary and secondary education because it provides good foundation”.
The governor urged the students to show appreciation by making good use of facilities provided by the old students.
National President, Ibadan Grammar School Old Students’ Association, Prof. Charles Aworh, said the association embarked on infrastructural development of the school to boost its education quality.
Aworh said, “The little mustard seed (Ibadan Grammar School) has grown into an oak tree with the school acquiring a reputation on account of the contributions of its products to society and human development”.
The Globalcom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, donated an Information and Communications Technology Centre to the school on the occasion.
Adenuga, Senator Femi Lanlehin, Ambassador Olu Sanu, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Prof. Akin Mabigunje and former Head of Service Prof. Oladapo Afolabi were among eminent persons that attended the ceremony.
The inauguration of a book, 100 years of Ibadan Grammar School (1913 to 2013) also took place on the occasion.
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Strange to hear Mr Nnamani saying that they tried to amend the EFCC law to make it impossible for the president to sack the EFCC boss without recourse to the senate but that the Bill was not assented to by the president. If the erstwhile president of the senate felt strongly about that Bill, he could have mustered enough support from his fellow Senators to over ride the president on this crucial issue!
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that we are paying the price of generational failure of leadership at all levels, which I believe is borne, mainly out of our incompetence and unmitigated personal greed for wealth! The past and present elites of Nigeria should bow their heads in shame for we failed the nation and by extension Africa that looked up to us for leadership. Mr Nnamani, is one of the failed leaders and so are a host of others in his generation!