Naija News
Reps Propose Six-Month Tenure For EFCC Acting Chairmanship
The House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act to allow the anti-graft agency to retain a part of funds and property it recovers from corrupt persons and organisations to run its operations.
If the bill is eventually passed by the National Assembly, the EFCC will be empowered to retain 0.05 per cent of its recoveries.
Part of the bill also proposed setting a limit to the duration a person can act as chairman of the commission, while the scope of qualifications for the chairmanship of the EFCC would be expanded to allow financial experts to head the anti-graft agency.
The bill is a consolidation of various bills separately sponsored by Messrs Nicholas Ossai, Tajudeen Yusuf, Olawale Raji and Kabiru Tukura.
The then acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, had in October 2016 called for a review of Nigerian laws to enable anti-graft agencies in the country to retain a percentage of the loot recovered to fund their operations.
The bill is seeking an amendment to Section 35 of the EFCC Act by inserting new provisos immediately after the existing Subsection 2, which reads, “…Provided that 0.05 per cent of the sums of money and value of assets recovered from looted funds and proceeds of crime is credited to the funds of the commission to enable it to be more effective in the discharge of its responsibilities.
The bill also sought that should the Senate decline to confirm the appointment, the appointee will only act as chairman for not more than six months.
It had reported on December 20, 2020, that the bill might be trying to fill the lacuna in the controversial retention of Magu as acting chairman of the EFCC.
The Senate in the 8th National Assembly had twice rejected the appointment of Magu as Chairman of the EFCC in 2017, based on a damning report on him by the Department of State Services.
Magu had remained acting chairman of EFCC until 2020 when he was suspended after a presidential probe into his activities.
The bill may also allow financial experts with proven integrity to become chairman of the anti-graft agency.
The bill is specifically seeking to amend Section 2(1) Paragraph (a)(ii) of the EFCC Act by deleting the entire paragraph and replacing it with a new one that reads, “…be a person of recognised financial experience with proved integrity in financial crimes control whether in the public or private sector and committed to the fight against corruption.”
In the last National Assembly, the House had proposed that the qualification for the chairmanship of the EFCC be raised from Commissioner of Police to Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
The parliament had also expanded the qualification to include a legal practitioner of no less than 20 years experience.
The House had also removed the Secretary of the EFCC from tenured offices in the leadership of the commission.
The passage of the bill had followed the adoption of the report by the House Committee on Financial Crimes.
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Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has approved the implementation of N30,000 as minimum wage for the workers in the state.
The secretary to the state government, Folashade Ayoade disclosed this on Tuesday after an extensive meeting with the organized labour in Lokoja
She blamed the delay in the implementation on the inability for the committee to meet regularly due to the covid-19 pandemic which has been overcome.
The SSG equally commended the organised labour for their understanding and patience, which she said has resulted into the signing of the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Read Also: FCTA Set to Implement Minimum Wage for FCT Workers
Author: Eunice Johnson, Abuja
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) on notice that it will stop selling forex to them by the end of 2022. CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele made this known in Abuja on Thursday at the end of the Bankers’ Committee Meeting where he also introduced the RT200 Programme.
Emefiele said the time had come for the banks to go out there and source for forex by funding entrepreneurs with ideas. The CBN, Emefiele said, will support the banks by granting rebates and other support until the banks find their feet in sourcing their forex by themselves.
He also disclosed that the apex bank’s policies and measures have led to a significant improvement in diaspora inflow from an average of US$6 million per week in December 2020 to an average of over US$100 million per week by January 2022. He added that the CBN would be reviewing these intervention programmes going forward to ensure that they continue to achieve the desired results.
He said international bodies, including some embassies and donor agencies, have been complicit in illegal forex transactions that have hindered the flow of foreign exchange into the country.
Read Also: CBN Encourages Nigerians to Accept E-Naira
Author: Gift Wada, Abuja
The Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd.) has approved the deployment of 37 Comptrollers to various Units, Departments and Commands across the country.
This was disclosed in a release signed on Tuesday by the Customs Deputy National, DC Timi Bomodi for the Comptroller General of Customs.
Among those deployed are the present National PRO of Customs Comptroller Joseph Attah who will assume the office of Area Controller of Kebbi Command, Comptroller AAS Oloyede who shall be moving from ICT/MOD to Tin Can Island Port Command, while Comptroller SI Bomoi to FCT Command. Other postings are Comptroller BA Jaiyeoba to Oyo/Osun Command, Comptroller A Dappa-Williams to Eastern Marine Command, Compt. MA Umar Kano/Jigawa, Compt. KC Egwuh ICT/MOD, Compt. LM Mark Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi, Compt. T Tachio CTC Kano, Compt. AA Umar Western Marine, Compt. M Dansakwa North Eastern Marine, Compt. AC Ayalogu T & T and Compt. KD Ilesanmi will assume duty as Comptroller Board among others.
Ali in postings released on 7th of February, charged the newly posted Comptrollers to justify the confidence reposed in them by NCS Management by bringing to bear their years of experience and training in trade facilitation and anti-smuggling activities on their new assignment.
Given the enormous expectations of government regarding revenue generation in the current year, the Comptroller General reiterated the need for all Area Controllers and Unit heads to take full charge of the affairs of their Commands by ensuring absolute compliance with extant fiscal policies while leveraging on the efficient management of data to optimize trade facilitation and revenue collection.
Furthermore, the CGC directed all officers to be extremely vigilant in protecting the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians by ensuring the full fortification of our borders against the incursion of smugglers and other cross border criminals.
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