The Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCA CC) has expressed disapproval of those calling for the scrapping of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing these calls as “unpatriotic and burdened with myopic intentions.”
This was stated on Thursday in Kano during the International Ombuds Day 2024 event organized by the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, themed “Here to Hear You.” The Chairman of the Commission, Barrister Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, said the calls represent nothing more than misdirected attacks on a critical agency that is aiding the nation.
He stated, “We don’t support the idea of scrapping the EFCC. The more anti-graft agencies we have, the more effective the fight against corruption will be for the country. Some private issues can be handled by sub-state anti-graft offices like ours.”
Barrister Muhyi added, “Nigeria needs to move forward in terms of service delivery, and what the country urgently needs is not calls for the scrapping of any anti-graft office.”
He further disclosed, “Just last week, I recovered N30 million through mediation, and we even paid for some expenses. This clearly demonstrates that the country needs these kinds of sub-state anti-graft agencies to support the EFCC and others.”
He also noted, “When I came to office in 2015, I encountered only 30 cases. Today, we have 1,300 cases, of which about 60 percent have been duly prosecuted, and 30 percent are outstanding.”
“The MacArthur Foundation granted us funding to revive the management conference of the Commission,” he said, adding that while some matters fall under the ombudsman’s purview, they can only be handled by the EFCC or the police.
While speaking at the occasion, Musa Auyo, Commissioner 1 of the Jigawa State Anti-Corruption Commission, expressed pride in being part of the pioneer executive council of the Commission and commended the Kano Commission for establishing the Jigawa Commission, which began operations on February 15, 2022.
“We have tried to establish a relationship and, over time, we have made the courts and police stations inactive because people trust us more, while the procedures in the courts and police are often tedious, causing individuals to become frustrated before obtaining justice.”
He added that their major challenges include land issues, other criminal activities, and the protection of government grazing lands. They have also focused on recovering government housing projects that have been allocated but not paid for, successfully recovering millions of Naira for the government.
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