2015 election: EFCC warns politicians over frivolous petitions

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned politicians to desist from sending unfounded petitions to the anti graft agency in a bid to promote their political aspirations.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, Tuesday, said the Commission wishes to sound a note of warning to politicians not to attempt to use it as a tool for political warfare.
He said: “In recent weeks, the EFCC has received many frivolous petitions alleging high crimes against leading political figures. Some of them came from the opponents of such individuals.”
“While it is important for citizens to be whistle blowers, it amounts to self help to attempt to instigate the EFCC against a political opponent. Citizens do not have to wait until election time to report alleged financial malfeasance,” the EFCC said.
Uwujaren noted that for some category of politicians, elections are nothing short of open warfare where any weapon that can swing the tide in their favour is fair. It does not matter whether such weapons deviate from the acceptable norm.
He added that in recent weeks the EFCC has been alarmed by reports in a section of the media, accusing it of failure to act on certain petitions supposedly sent to it through the pages of the newspapers.
Uwujaren explained that according to the petitioners, the Commission’s failure to act had reduced their chances of success in the political arena.
He pointed out to petition writers that EFCC have standard operating procedures, which clearly state the irreducible minimum standards which officers must uphold in evaluating petitions for investigation adding that where petitions fall short of such standards, the EFCC is not obliged to proceed.
Uwujaren also warned that: “It is equally important that members of the public realize that it is an offence under the EFCC Establishment Act to write false petitions or supply misleading information to the Commission.”
The EFCC also stated that nobody is above the law, saying that the fact that a politician is the standard bearer of any political party for any political office does not amount to immunity from investigation or prosecution for any acts of criminality.
Uwujaren said the EFCC will resist any attempts to, overtly or surreptitiously; drag it into the political arena ahead of, during or after the forthcoming general elections.
He added that the EFCC appreciates the sentiments political leaders have expressed about strengthening the anti corruption institutions.
Uwujaren pointed out that it shows a common understanding that fighting corruption in Nigeria is a national emergency, and distracting agencies saddled with such responsibility is not an incentive for addressing the emergency.

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