Olusegun Ariyo
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, have come to stay.
This is amid the controversial calls to scrap the EFCC.
About 16 governors across the country are seeking the scrapping of the anti-graft agency.
sixteen state governors filed a suit challenging the legality of the laws establishing the agency.
The Supreme Court had on Wednesday fixed October 22 to hear the suit.
The states that joined in the suit filed originally by the Kogi State Government include Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross River and Niger.
The 16 states are relying on the fact that the constitution is the supreme law and that any law that is inconsistent with it is null and void.
However, Falana, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics and that which was monitored by Urban Express News Online , advised the states that rather than challenging the legality of EFCC, they should seek measures to ensure that the agency is not under the government’s control.
“For me, the ICPC and the EFCC like the Code of Conduct Tribunal, have come to stay. What we should be demanding are measures to make these institutions autonomous, not under the control of any government,” Falana said on the programme.
“And the Supreme Court has maintained rather repeatedly concerning the EFCC and EFCC; that these are common, they shouldn’t be under the control of the Federal Government.
“They are common agencies to fight economic crimes in our country, to fight financial crimes in our country, to fight corruption in our country.”
