By Henry Umoru & Inalegwu Shaibu
ABUJA—Senators Wednesday rejected a proposal seeking to merge the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The rejected proposal came through a bill seeking to repeal the ICPC Act and grant the EFCC the powers to act as coordinating agency for corruption and financial crimes in the country. It was sponsored by Senator Ita Enang, PDP Akwa Ibom.

Senator Enang, while leading the debate on the bill sought the Senate’s consent to scrap ICPC for performing dual responsibilities with the EFCC.

Enang, who chaired  the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, had last month sought leave of the chamber to repeal the ICPC Act, and create a single agency “or institution to handle in a coordinated manner, all corruption, financial crimes and other crimes of the genres.

But Enang was quickly interjected by Senator Anthony Adeniyi (ACN, Ekiti) who pointed out the anomalies contained in the bill to the Senate.

He urged the Senate to discontinue with the bill after observing that the First Reading of the Bill for an Act to amend the EFCC Act was that of 2004 but version before the senate reads 2007.

Yet the controversial Bill resurfaced in the Senate yesterday and once again, Senators made sure it did not scale the crucial Second Reading in the chamber.

Senator Galaudu Mohammed in his contribution kicked against the scrapping of ICPC noting that it was an attempt to circumvent the fight against corruption

He cited China as an example of a countries with over 15 government agencies specifically set up to fight and eradicate corruption in that country.

“China has 18 agencies fighting corruption, the UK has five, so our two is not too much.” He noted.

Also opposing the bill, Senator Dahiru Kuta urged the Senate to throw out the bill for lack of financial details of the merger.

Sensing the negative mood in the chamber generated by the bill, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, presided over plenary begged his colleagues to allow Enang withdraw the bill.

He advised, “You should do your homework well before coming back with it,”

Senator Enang complied with the advice from the Ekweremadu and withdrew the bill pending its reintroduction six months later in line with parliamentary practice.