Gani Fawehinmi, the human rights lawyer, has told the financial crimes czar, Nuhu Ribadu, that he will defend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should anyone sue it for exposing corrupt office seekers ahead of the 2007 general elections.
Fawehinmi made the promise when the EFCC chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, paid him a courtesy visit at his Anthony Village Lagos chambers, last week.
His gesture is coming amid a barrage of criticisms against the anti-graft agency’s plans to scrutinise and expose corrupt political office seekers.Some have argued that such exercise was irregular and out of criteria for running for public office specified in the constitution.
But differing, Chief Fawehinmi pledged free legal services to the commission arguing that the step was not only legal but consistent with constitutional provisions.
Citing several legal authorities and the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, Chief Fawehinmi averred that one of the greatest contributions that EFCC can make to Nigeria was to prevent known corrupt people from getting into government again.
He noted that provisions in the 1999 constitution, which were absent in all other Nigerian constitutions from 1963 and attempts under the military at constitution making, gave all relevant agencies of government, including EFCC, the legal backing to inquire into the background of all intending office holders. He pointed out that the constitution was clear that indictment alone by any relevant agency was enough ground to disqualify a politician from contesting the election.
The legal luminary flayed the various commentators who had attacked EFCC over statements credited to Mallam Ribadu, to the effect that anyone seeking political office opened himself to public scrutiny and that EFCC would perform its watchdog role and present its findings on aspiring political office holders to the Nigerian people, before the elections.
Fawehinmi offered the services of his chambers free of charge to the commission, should anyone go to court to challenge EFCC’s insistence on checkmating corrupt political office seekers.
He further stated that he was in full support of the EFCC efforts at cleaning up not only the public service, but also the private sector and recovering and returning stolen money to government and victims of fraud all over the world.
Responding, Ribadu thanked Chief Fawehinmi for the unflinching support he has given EFCC since the establishment of the commission in 2003. He assured Chief Fawehinmi, that the commission would continue to insist on standing for the weak, the poor and those who had been treated unfairly, whether fraudsters and corrupt people like it or not.
Responding, Ribadu thanked Chief Fawehinmi for the unflinching support he has given EFCC since the establishment of the commission in 2003. He assured Chief Fawehinmi, that the commission would continue to insist on standing for the weak, the poor and those who had been treated unfairly, whether fraudsters and corrupt people like it or not.
