Yesterday, A Bill which plans to separate the Nigerian Financial Intelligence
Unit (NFIU) from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
scaled first reading in the Senate .
This is coming less than 24 hours after the upper chamber raised the
alarm over the suspension of Nigeria by the Egmont Group of Financial
Intelligence Unit.
The Bill, sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on
Anti-Corruption, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), seeks to create
autonomous NFIU, which will not be domiciled in the EFCC.
The move to create an independent NFIU is line with the demand of the
Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Unit which had give the country
December 2017 deadline to comply or risk expulsion from the group.
The Senate had on Wednesday debated the suspension of Nigeria from the Egmont Group for failing to grant autonomy to the NFIU.
The upper chamber declared its intention to give accelerated hearing
to the Bill to ensure that the NFIU becomes independent before the
December 2017 deadline given by Egmont Group.
Shortly after the Bill scaled first reading, Senate President,
Abubakar Bukola Saraki, directed the Business and Rules Committee to
ensure that the Bill was scheduled for Second Reading on Tuesday next
week.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu
Sabi Abdullahi told reporters that the Senate does not want anybody to
doubt the supportive role of the upper chamber to the fight against
corruption in the country.
The Senate Abdullahi said, has its own input to make to ensure the success of the anti-graft war.
He noted that for any anti-graft agency to succeed in its task, it
must share intelligence report with sister agencies in the world.
He said: “Our worry is that Nigeria was suspended from the Egmont Group
basically because NFIU has not been granted autonomy and still domiciled
in EFCC. The essence of it is that in sharing intelligence, there are
protocols that must be respected. The Senate is committed to ensuring
that the right thing is always done. We must be proactive. If you
strengthen the NFIU you are strengthening other intelligence units in
the country.”
No comments:
Post a comment