EFCC - BEYOND MAGU

It was Lord Acton that said 'Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely'. With the kind of Powers, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission wield, nobody should be surprised by the quantum of sleaze daily generated from that August chamber.

There is a saying that when a person is carrying a load, and the load is skewed, the legs of the person carrying the load should be examined, for the load may have been skewed because the person carrying the load has bended knees. 

The drama surrounding Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is beyond the man at the centre of the storm. The fault is not in the man but in the raison d'etre for setting up the commission.

I believe there are Laws backing up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but what motivated the setting up of the commission? Vendetta.

It was set up by Obj to whip his fellow politicians into line and not to fight corruption. Ibrahim Magu is just a victim of circumstances. Recall that it was Nuhu Ribadu, a serving Policeman and Chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that was used to rubbish Tafa Balogun, his then Inspector General of Police. How incongruous?

The job the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is performing is the job of the Police. If you want a serving Policeman to head it, then he has to be answerable to Police authorities. You cannot bring a serving Policeman with seniors in the police, give him a Policeman's job and tell him to ignore the Inspector General of Police. That is a recipe for indiscipline and chaos.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should be under the Police and follow all Police procedures, including Habeas Corpus in their operations. 

This Blog is not interested in the merits and demerits of the Magu case but to point the way forward lest the same mistakes are repeated as they were made before Magu.

 A close look at the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission including Media trial and threats are a reflection of the persona of Obj and that is no way to build an enduring Institution.

To all intents and purposes, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is at best a mockery of the Nigerian Police Force. Rather than prop up parallel crime fighting institutions, our Police Force is overdue for surgery.

The conditions of service of the Nigerian Police informs the quality of service oozing out from that stinking Institution from whom much is sadly expected.

In the past, heads of the Police used to make a lot of money from changing Police uniforms and then the Policemen used to look presentable. But today, it is like the baby is being thrown away with the bath water. No change of uniforms, no illegal money from there but the policemen are looking miserable.

No good uniforms, no sophisticated weaponry and ugly looking offices. Transportation is detestable.

The welfare of the Police should be drastically redressed and thereupon, we can count on them for to whom much is given, much should be expected.