The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has restated its commitment to the dictates of the rule of law in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.

The assurance is coming against the backdrop of some media reports quoting the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri as saying that the rule of law frustrates the Commission’s operations.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the rule of law is the bedrock of any democratic governance. This has been the basis for the operations and activities of the EFCC under the leadership of Mrs. Waziri since she took over the chairmanship of the Commission 12 months ago. She has at various fora affirmed her belief in the rule of law and has no reason to make a u-turn on that”, a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi explained.

According to the statement, Mrs. Waziri had gone before the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Anti-Corruption conducting a public hearing on the proposed amendment to EFCC and ICPC acts to make her presentation. She never meant rule of law was hampering the Commission. Instead, she complained about the attitude of some people who use the rule of law in the negative sense to frustrate the Commission’s drive against corruption and the corrupt especially some highly placed accused persons, defense counsel and some judicial officers.

“This, she has said on several occasions without being misinterpreted. Again, she has no reason to kick against the rule of law through which she has been able to secure 65 convictions and made recoveries of well over N50billion in just 12 months. She made her complaint against the attitude of some people in an attempt to convince the National Assembly on the need for special courts to try only economic crimes including corruption cases so as to checkmate the numerous techniques employed by accused persons to frustrate their trial in the regular courts.”

Femi Babafemi
Head, Media & Publicity