Falana also faulted Agbakoba’s submissions that the Supreme Court knocked the EFCC on many occasions
By Kehinde Okeowo
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has advised the National Assembly to seize the opportunity presented by the ongoing constitutional review to end the controversy surrounding the acts which established Nigeria’s two anti graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practice and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He gave the advice in two separate letters addressed to the leadership of the National Assembly- the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He was reacting to comments credited to a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), that EFCC is an unlawful organisation that he believed was “unconstitutionally established.”
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Falana while urging NASS to do the needful, said it is important to entrench both anti-graft agencies in the Constitution.
He said, “If both commissions are constitutionalised, they will be protected and strengthened to fight the menace of corruption and money laundering.”
He went on to fault Agbakoba’s submissions that the Supreme Court had knocked the EFCC on many occasions.
Relying on cases already decided by the apex court, Falana stated that contrary to Agbakoba’s claim, the Supreme Court has consistently supported the efforts of the ICPC and the EFCC in fighting monumental corruption in the country.
