The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, been drawn to comments credited to Olisa Agbokoba, SAN, in media reports of Monday, December 19, 2022, wherein he cast aspersion on the Commission’s commitment to rule of law and its investigation of the finances of the Kogi State Government. According to Agbakoba, EFCC not only disregards the rule of law, but has no business inquiring into how the Kogi State Government spends its funds.
The Commission takes great
exception at the indecorous and utterly irresponsible attempt by Agbakoba to
dress it in the borrowed garb of a lawless entity and a meddlesome interloper,
who has no business probing the stealing of Kogi State resources. In all his
tirades, no evidence was presented to support his claim that the EFCC has been
lawless, nor did he mention any law which the Commission’s investigation of the
finances of the Kogi State Government violated.
Instead, his refrain was to a
non-extent decision of the Supreme Court which he also failed to electorate
upon. But it is important to state that contrary to the views of Agbakoba, the
Supreme Court at no time delivered any judgement which forbids the EFCC from
investigating fraud cases involving a state government. The Learned counsel
ought to have known that the Apex Court of the Land as far back as 2010 in
JOLLY TEVORU NYAME V FRN (2010) 11 NWLR (PT.1193)344 held that the “claim that
the money belongs to Taraba State and that the state has exclusive claim on it
to the exclusion of any other authority by virtue of section 120 of the 1999
constitution cannot stand.”
Furthermore, Agbakobas erroneous
views ought to be tempered by the decision of the Supreme Court in A.G ONDO
STATE v. A.G., FEDERATION (2002) 9 NWLR [pt.772] page 222 at page 308 where the
Honourable Court held: “It has been pointed out that the provisions of the Act
impinge on the cardinal principle of federalism, namely, the requirement of
equality and autonomy of the State Government and non-interference with the
functions of State Government. This is true, but as seen above, both the
Federal and State Government share the power to legislate in order to abolish
corruption and abuse of office. If this is a breach of the principle of
Federalism, then, I am afraid, it is the Constitution that makes the provisions
that have facilitated the breach of the principle. As far as the aberration is
supported by the provision of the Constitution, I think it cannot rightly be
argued that an illegality has occurred by the failure of the Constitution to adhere
to the cardinal principles which are at best ideals to follow or guidance for
an ideal situation."
Lastly, the learned Silk should
also know that his views are totally unsupported by the facts, circumstances of
Kogi’s case and the decision of the Court of Appeal in KALU V FRN & (2012)
LPELR- 9287 (CA) which decision knocked the bottom out of the contention of
Agbakoba.
From the decisions of the Appellate
Court it is clear that whilst the State Assemblies can investigate finances of
their states, they are not empowered to investigate and prosecute fraud cases;
that responsibility lies with agencies such as the EFCC.
It is therefore morally
reprehensible for a learned Silk of Agbakoba’s calibre to promote the view that
state governments cannot be questioned on how they use the resources of their
states, and that law enforcement organizations cannot investigate cases of
alleged wanton theft of Kogi State’s resources particularly where the alleged
thieves do not report themselves! Had this view been promoted by any other
lawyer than Agbakoba who rose to national prominence as advocate of civil
liberties and anti-corruption, it would have been pardonable.
When men who are seen as conscience
of the nation begin to approbate and reprobate on an issue, it is almost
certain they are driven by motives which could be far from altruistic.
The manner in which Agbakoba
delivered his message in the so-called media briefing, he sounded more like a
spokesperson of the Kogi State Government than an advocate of the rule of law.
By his demeanor, any citizen who thought the briefing was only a smokescreen to
vilify the EFCC at the pleasure of the Kogi State Government, would be
forgiven.
But Agbakoba is not counsel to the
Kogi State government, at least not publicly. But even Kogi state lawyers whom
he offered his free counsel on how to handle the EFCC at the briefing would not
have put up a better performance. Despite not being counsel to the Kogi State
Government, Agbakoba had no scruples using the media to pontificate on a matter
that is currently before a court of competent justification. This, to him, does
not amount to a media trial of the EFCC!
In his game of ostrich, Agbakoba
continually harped on Section 46 of the EFCC Act but ignores the provisions of Section 7 of the
same Act and various provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention and
Prohibition Act, the Advance Fee Fraud Other Fraud Related Offences Act, etc.,
which gives the Commission power to investigate all fraud cases.
Why is Agbakoba so jittery about
the robust response of the EFCC to corruption that he would openly incite the
next administration against the Commission? That essentially was the agenda
when he said: “So the candidate (2023 election candidates) must tell us what
they are going to do with all these agencies because we need to know if they
are going to allow the EFCC to continue to engage in media trials and carry on
as the attack dog of the Federal Government against other arms and levels of
governments.”
Is the Federal Government of
President Muhammadu Buhari against Yahaya Bello Administration of Kogi
State? Where does Agbakoba get his logic
of attack dogs? What is a media trial, when a case has been filed in court and
the defendants have taken their pleas? Should Nigerians have been kept in the
dark that a certain nephew of Yahaya Bello is facing a N10billion fraud trial?
EFCC is not averse to criticisms
but it will not ignore jaundiced views masked as advocacy for rule of law. No
amount of intimidation and sponsored attacks will deter the Commission from
investigating cases of corruption in any level of government, or involving any
individual however well placed, until we rid our nation of this monster.
Credit: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
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