Sen. Victor Lar, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Financial Crimes, Drugs and Narcotics, has canvassed for adequate funding and the restructuring of anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria to ensure better performance.
Lar, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator, Plateau South, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He said that inadequate funding of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies was a mitigating factor in the fight against corruption and urged government to address it in order to win the anti-graft war.
“If the national budget is N4.6 trillion, for instance and you do not adequately fund the agency that is empowered to ensure that the money is not stolen, you are indirectly telling the thief to get away with the theft.
Lar further said: ‘The agencies need proper funding to hire good lawyers to prosecute myriad corruption cases in the courts, fuel their vehicles and sundry financial commitments.
“In other climes, adequate funding of anti-graft agencies is given top priority and this explains why they are getting better results,’’ he said.
Lar observed that there was no central coordinating agency that would streamline the operations of the anti-corruption agencies, resulting in duplication of functions and distraction of personnel.
He said that this necessitated a look in the direction of immediate agency restructuring for optimal results.
“A situation whereby one agency may have to send a file to a sister agency only succeeds in duplicating functions, delaying prosecution and distracting personnel,’’ he said.
He also canvassed for the restructuring of the Nigerian judiciary such that some judges would be dedicated to handle corruption cases alone, so as to speedily dispense with myriad corruption cases.
“For instance, a judge who is handling a crucial corruption case and is also made a member of an election petition tribunal would have to suspend proceedings in that case until returns,’’ he said
He observed that some lawyers take advantage of the loopholes in the system to delay cases by engaging in frivolous preliminary objections and pursuing same up to the Supreme Court.
“Once a judge gives a ruling in a case, these lawyers start filing
frivolous preliminary objections and pursue same up to the Supreme Court, just to delay the determination of the substantive suit.
“The proceedings and final determination of so many corruption cases by way of convictions are often stalled by these actions,’’ Lar said.
The Senator disclosed that the Senate has amended the Anti-Money Laundering, the Financial Intelligence and the Mutual Legal Assistance Laws, while the Proceeds of Financial Crime Law has been introduced.
Lar said that Nigeria which was hitherto blacklisted for its unsafe financial climate has been cleared and will soon be a member of the UN Financial Action Task Force on money-laundering.
