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Nigeria: Senators Disagree On Financial Crimes Court Bill
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This Day (Lagos)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Sufuyan Ojeifo
Abuja
Many Senators yesterday kicked against the Bill for an Act to establish a separate court to try all corruption-related offences, saying the move was unconstitutional.
Some members however supported the bill with the Senate President, David Mark, prevailing on his colleagues to guard against the Bill's death before getting to the Committee that would finetune it.
The Senate thereafter referred the Bill to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters under the chairmanship of Senator Umaru Dahiru (Sokoto State) for further legislative consideration.
Senator Simeon Oduoye (Osun State), who sponsored it, led the debate on the general principles of the bill, saying the bill sought to establish a specialized anti-corruption court in the country which was similar to the commercial crimes courts in South Africa and the anti-corruption courts of Kenya, Indonesia and Pakistan.
According to him, "The Bill will help to accelerate and simplify the prosecution of Corruption cases, reduce the burden of other Courts, as well as help to decongest prisons."
Besides, Oduoye explained that the establishment of the court to bolster the anti-corruption war would reassure the international community and Nigerians on the importance that the National Assembly attached to the anti-corruption war.
Deputy Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) said, although there were amendments to the bill which could be handled at the committee level, he believed that given the volume of corruption cases pending before conventional courts, the specialized court could come to their aid.
Opposition against the bill came from the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru.He said the idea of setting up the Court would amount to 'usurpation of the powers of the Federal High Court which has jurisdiction all over the country."
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Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Financial Crimes, Senator Sola Akinyede, expressed concern over the possibility of the bill creating another Court, pointing out that it would run contrary to the EFCC Act.Senator Umar Idris contended that rather than establish another specialized court for corruption-related offences or cases, steps should be taken to strengthen the Federal High Courts so that they could become more effective in the performance of their assignments.
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