Daily Independent (Lagos)
Adetutu Folasade-Koyi
23 October 2008
Abuja — Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farida Waziri, said on Wednesday that the agency would soon spread its dragnet into banks and beam its searchlight on contractors.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics an Anti-corruption on Wednesday, the EFCC chairman also said the commission would push for the removal of the controversial section 308 from the Constitution during the proposed constitutional amendment by the National Assembly.
Section 308 provides immunity cover for the president, his deputy, governors and their deputies while they were still n office.
The immunity clause, she said, has made some public officers to be reckless and careless.
"Corruption is all round. We have collected a list of contractors registered with various ministries. We are building mechanisms that will beam searchlight on ministries and Federal Government parastatals because I like prevention; it is a lot cheaper.
"On the issue of what is going on in the banking industry, we know; I know what goes on in the banks. I even made a pronouncement that my next focus will be the banks because a lot is going on in the banks.
"They are now reaching out, opening branches and we have our intelligence about what goes on there and we are going to focus on these banks very soon. We are doing certain cases; that is why we haven't gone in there yet."
Furthermore, Waziri disclosed that between 2006 and 2007, a total 3,672 petitions were received by the agency but which "EFCC had no business dabbling into."
"We will soon set up a unit to screen petitions to determine whether the EFCC will handle or redirect to the Police Force or other sister agencies as the case may be."
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madam EFCC, i advise u to leave the banks to the banking supervision dept. of the cbn, go get the governors first, u agent of pen robbers. go get obasanjo and recover the peoples monies in his posession. stop messing with us. we are no fools. i have told u to go marry your husband and be a good mother to yr kids, if u cannot handle that chair. give it back to ribadu. u might end up hurting yrself. i am as usual, CAPITAL G.C.