As stakeholders raise concerns over level of financial,other crimes

By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA–ABUJA–THE Clerk of the National Assembly,Ojo Amos Olatunde, has blamed proliferation of illegal arms and offensive ammunition on leakages in border posts.

This was as he said electoral fraud was a major challenge to the nation’s political and democratic system, noting that,”In order for our democratic process to have any meaningful impact on the masses in whom sovereignty resides,all relevant constituted authorities must do the needful,so that the process will be sanitized,even as we look up towards the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.”

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Speaking in Abuja, at the 6th Annual Conference of Financial Crime,Cross-Border Crime and Electoral Fraud,organised by Forensic Insight International Limited, the National Assembly Clerk regretted that the leakages of border posts “was a major contributor to the proliferation of small arms and other offensive ammunition,that have found their ways into the deadly hands of kidnapping kingpins and other violent bandits terrorizing our people today.”

Olatunde,who was represented by the Director, Internal Audit, Mr. Kayode Oluwasami,noted that,”Cross border crime is a grievous crime with cross border dimension committed a or along or which is related to external border.”

Going down memory lane why why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC,was established,he said:”The vicious danger that financial fraud posed tragically to the country,made the Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian government (1999-2003), to establish the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),to combat the menace “

“Cross border crime is also illegal and notorious activities carried out by individuals and groups across national and international border. The stark leakages coming out at our various border posts across the country,is a major contributor to the proliferation of small arms and other offensive ammunition, that have found their ways into the deadly hands of kidnapping kingpins and other violent bandits terrorizing our people today,”he said.

Speaking on the nation’s electoral process,he said:”On the other hand, electoral fraud,voter fraud or vote rigging is what I will call illegal interference with the process of election.”

“You will agree with me that electoral fraud is a major challenge to our political and democratic system.

“The electorate have had to lose conference in our democratic exercise,and their moral to vote has equally diminished,as a result of unnecessary criminal electoral malpractices.

“In our democratic process to have any meaningful impact on the masses in whom sovereignty resides,all relevant constituted authorities must do the needful, so that the process will be sanitized,even as we all look up eagerly towards the 2023 general elections in Nigeria,”he added.

Earlier,in his his remarks,the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Forensic Insight International Ltd.,Tunji Aworinde, explained that the 6th Forensic Insight International Ltd,was “about campaigning for on one hand,about some of the economic and social vices in Nigeria and also in Africa.”

“On the other side, it’s about capacity building,”he further explained.

Noting that “presenters at the conference were capacity building attendees”, Aworinde said,”This in a way,are some of the contributions against some of the economic crimes, electoral fraud and all those social ills in the Nigeria.”

He explained why the conference became necessary:” Remember,this is the 6th conference. This is one of our contributions to these campaigns,we are not putting ourselves forward as people with all the answers to the questions. What were are doing is just contributing our widow’s might,just campaigning to solving the problems. “

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, electoral fraud, financial crimes, perpetually, is for good men and women to do nothing. So,in a way,we are following on this wise saying,in campaigning and refusing to fold out hands or refusing to be indifferent as I presented in my opening remarks. We choose to shout and screem from the roof about the economic crimes, cross border crimes, that is trafficking in persons, sexual abuse-selling young girls in Europe or other parts of the world.

“And again,we have the general elections coming up in 2023,we are of the view that this is the time to start campaigning against electoral fraud, violence, and to campaign to the hearing of our people that we should be wise in the choice of our leadership, because the leaderswe choose today, would determine our future,not just our future but the future of our children and the future of our country, whether for good or for bad”,he added.

Making allusion to reports about electoral violence in the ongoing Anambra State governorship election,’Aworinde noted that the development had become the symbol of what election had become in the country.

Hear him:” I read reports about violence some ballots boxes missing and some fraud associated with the election in Anambra State, I think this is a symbol of what elections have become in our land.”

According to him,” We have to have this understanding that when politicians are elected by fraud or violence,those politicians would not come Into offices to serve the nation”, adding that:”Politics or governance is about service.”