Dayo Johnson Akure

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ‎boss, Ibrahim Lamorde yesterday said it has secured 800 convictions in its eleven year of existence and hundreds of cases still pending in various courts across the country. He also lamented that public funds management is secretive and that accountability is very poor.

Lamorde also further ‎proposed to the federal government to establish a “Special Court” that would only focus on cases on corruption as well as the need by the federal government to reform the judicial sector to assist the commission in its fight against corruption.

Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde said this at a two-day workshop programme on Budget Monitoring and tracking, organized for NGOs, CBOs, Media and local government staff in Akure, the Ondo State Capital.

Speaking through the Commissions Director, Public Affairs Department, Mr. Osita Nwajah, Lamorde expressed worries over clashes between the act guiding the activities of the commission and the constitution of the country.

According to him the EFCC act does not give room for interlocutory applications in the cause of trial noting that it is inconsistence with the relevant of the constitution which guarantee access to judicial process of every Nigerian.

“It was the EFCC that proposed the Special Court and we have not relent on that.

“If you study the EFCC act very well there is some movement in that direction which says that the court should not entertain interlocutory applications in the cause of the trial i.e people cannot come to say let us stop the main trial and let us argue the non-substantive issue.

“But then, it is also inconsistence with the relevant of the constitution which guarantee access to judicial process of every Nigerian so you cannot abridge that right and so far it is inconsistent with the constitution.

“That provision cannot operate, that is why we have this interlocutory things coming up so often.

“It is so bad that in the two of the cases of two former governors we have on trial, some of the people you are hearing about would have gone to the Supreme Court on Interlocutory applications.

“They have dragged us to the Supreme Court and the usual process in Nigeria is that anytime such process comes up you will keep the substantive matter aside and address the concern as raised by the defense.

“And at which point at lower court we win, they dragged us to the Appeal Court, we will win, they take us to the Supreme court, the Supreme Court we said go back and start your trial at the lower court.

“This is the second term we have gone to the Supreme Court and the highest court will ask us to go back and the substantive matter not even moved. These are some of the things that made us to call for special court and the judiciary needs serious reform”

Speaking on the on the workshop, Larmode said “there is need for this due to regular diversion and embezzlement of funds allocated for provision of basic social amenities and infrastructure for the benefit of the masses.

“In a number of ways, the management of public funds is still secretive and accountability very poor. However, the budget, as we all are aware come from the government treasury and its includes the taxes people pay.

“The commission is therefore convince that if it embarks on an intensive sensitization campaign, civic education and training of stakeholders on budge processes, the citizenry will appreciate what budgeting is all about, understand the process of making budget and improve their advocacy capacity to be able to influence budget outcomes”.

Also speaking, the Commissions Head of Enlightenment and Re-orientation Unit, Hajia Aisha Larai Musa noted that if citizens understand budget processes, they will demand for transparency and accountability in budget implementation.

Musa said “It is this desire of the commission that led to the publication of a budget monitoring, tracking and training manual sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

According to him ” The manual which has five modules is developed for members of the society that are committed to the promotion of transparency and accountability in the allocation, management and utilization of public funds”.