ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Contrary to erroneous impression that any of Nigeria’s past heads of state or presidents had fought corruption more than the present administration, Senator Victor Lar on Thursday declared that “the Goodluck Jonathan administration has fought corruption more than any other administration”.
Lar, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-corruption, also disclosed that a whooping sum of £14 million was expended to secure the conviction of former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori in the United Kingdom.
Lar spoke during the 2015 Budget defence of the trio of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to Lar, the enforcement agencies are doing their best in the fight against corruption in Nigeria under the present administration.
The only reason most Nigerians are not aware of this, Lar noted, is that there is no more ‘media trial’ arrest, which used to be undertaken before, unlike the impunity of the past administrations.
“Gentlemen of the press, let me shock you by boldly asserting and declaring that contrary to the general impression being held in certain quarters, the Goodluck Jonathan administration has fought corruption more than any other administration. The various agencies have secured more convictions against corrupt officials and economic saboteurs.
“In deed, over six hundred convictions were cumulatively secured by EFCC, ICPC, with the NDLEA destroying a regional record of hard drugs. In fact, the discovery and destruction of three methamphetamine making factories in Lagos (State) have continued to confound the international community. The truth about the fight against corruption in Nigeria is not that the enforcement agencies are doing their best, it is that now, unlike the impunity of the past, there is no more ‘media trial’ arrest, which used to be undertaken before.
“Investigation has now been rightly reverted to the ‘last’ step to prosecution. Media trial has been reduced to its barest minimum. We concede though that the general expectations of Nigerians of the enforcement agencies saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption is that we should see more convictions particularly of politically exposed persons. The truth about this is that it is not due to absence of diligent prosecution by the agencies, but it is convoluted legal system,” Lar declared.
The legislator also revealed that more than 10 years recurrent and capital budgets of all the anti-corruption agents put together was spent to secure the conviction of Ibori.
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“We are signing off with the acknowledgement of the need to amend the enabling laws of the ICPC, EFCC, NDLEA to put them on first line charge. All the convictions were secured with very limited or no funds.
“People are quick to celebrate the conviction of James Ibori in the U.K. The truth is that to secure Ibori’s conviction, a whooping sum of £14 million was expended. That is almost N400 billion, which is more than 10 years recurrent and capital budgets of all the anti-corruption agents put together.
“In other climes, a percentage of funds recovered or the proceeds of crime is retained by the recovering agency for funding their activities,” he observed.