The Nigerian House of Representatives says it will continue to take legislative action to support the fight against corruption in the country in line with the Legislative Agenda of the 9th Assembly.
Speaker Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila made the statement in Abuja at a Public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Examiners of Nigeria.
Represented by the Deputy House Leader Mr. Peter Akpatason, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila described the public hearing as timely and said the ninth Assembly will continue to strengthen anti-corruption agencies and other financial institutions with a legal framework to succeed.
He said: “when I first spoke to the House in my inaugural address at the beginning of the 9th Assembly, I stated that the House would do all we can to support the fight against corruption.
And in the Legislative Agenda of the 9th House of Representatives, we also identified the fight against corruption as one of the critical areas of our attention.
I assure Nigerians that our commitment in this regard remains as steadfast today as it was then and that we will continue to take action to meet the commitments we have made.”
The Speaker however, appealed to stakeholders to make positive and objective contributions that would help improve the fight against corruption and corrupt tendencies in the public institutions as well as other criminalities in the country.
Promotion of forensic examination
The Chairman House Committee on Anti-Corruption Mr. Shehu Nicholas Garba, said if established the bill will provide regulations and control of members as well as promote forensic examination practice in Nigeria.
“This Public Hearing is an opportunity for stakeholders and citizens to contribute to improving a Bill that will be an important contribution to the institutional strengthening that is necessary to win the fight against corruption” , Garba said.
Illicit transaction and fraud
Sponsor of the bill, Mr. Yusuf Buba Yakubu, confirmed that the bill if properly supported would help in fast tracking investigation into illicit transactions and fraud within and outside the country.
Yakubu explained that the Bill is expected to give a legal backing to the institute that has been in existence for over a decade and to reduce capital flight associated with training of personnel on forensic investigation outside the country.
He said “the bill seeks to address the existing gaps and the growing complexities in the ways financial transactions are being conducted especially with the use of technology and other reasons.”
The Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria had earlier claimed that the proposed bill was allegedly a duplication of their sponsored bill passed by the 8th National Assembly.
Nneka Ukachukwu
