Not the Right Time,’ Gov. Fintiri Kicks Against Scrapping EFCC
‘Ahmadu Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa State, has expressed objection to the dissolution of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming that the time is not right.
The governor mentioned this during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, which aired Friday.
Instead of dissolving the anti-graft agency, he argued that strengthening it would boost its ability to battle corruption.
“In my opinion, it is not the appropriate moment to terminate the Economic (and) Financial Crimes Commission, regardless of its origins,” Fintiri told the audience.
We must strengthen it, improve its functionality, and eliminate the political factors that cause some people to accuse them of witchcraft rather than addressing the root cause.
The governor also addressed the recent Supreme Court lawsuit filed by 16 state governors challenging the constitutionality of the commission’s creating legislation.
The Supreme Court has scheduled October 22 as the hearing date for a challenge filed by 16 state governments challenging the validity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Kogi State government and 15 other governments filed the action, challenging the validity of the laws that constituted the EFCC.
Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River, and Niger are the 15 other states that have joined the suit, which is marked SC/CV/178/2023.
When asked if Adamawa will join the complaint, the governor stated that he is currently in discussions with the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
He clarified that he was ignorant when the 16 states filed a challenge in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the EFCC.
“I wasn’t yesterday. I’m still discussing it with my attorney general. If necessary, I will participate; however, I am not currently doing so.
“I was unaware when they went to court,” Fintiri said. Now that I’m aware, I’ll look at the document and the difficulties involved,” Fintiri stated.