Kehinde Fajobi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has condemned recent calls for its dissolution, as 16 governors challenge the legality of the agency in court.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwajuren strongly defended the commission, warning that Nigeria would collapse under the weight of corruption without its work.
“We are really shocked by what is happening,” Uwajuren said. “Nigerians should see through this shenanigan and oppose it because I don’t see how this country can survive without the EFCC with the kind of corruption problem that we have in this country. Nigeria cannot do without the EFCC.”
Uwajuren suggested that the governors behind the legal challenge are doing so because they are “feeling the heat” of the EFCC’s anti-corruption efforts.
“I am worried that, with the kind of problem we have with corruption in this country, some people would go to court to challenge the legality of EFCC,” he remarked.
He added, “Those who are doing this, I am not sure that for citizens in their state, the EFCC is their greatest problem. What you see playing out is simply people who are feeling the heat of the work of the EFCC and they simply want to derail what is going on within the EFCC.”
Uwajuren emphasized that the EFCC is fully backed by Nigerian law and criticised the attempt to challenge its legitimacy.
“So, people who are concerned about transparency and accountability will wish the EFCC to be killed. Let me use the word killed because that is the agenda. They simply want to derail the fight against corruption because they don’t want accountability in their domains.”
He urged Nigerians to see through the motives of those challenging the EFCC, stressing that the commission plays a vital role in the nation’s fight against corruption.