Drop bill to reduce ICPC chair�s power, CSOs tell N�Assembly

Two anti-corruption groups, the Centre for Fiscal Transparency; and the Centre for Media, Policy and Accountability, hav called on the 10th National Assembly to do away with a bill passed by the 9th Senate, seeking to reduce the powers of the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

This was as reports emerged that the 10th Senate was planning to resuscitate the bill, despite its earlier suspension by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, earlier in June.

The legislation was titled, �A bill for an Act to amend the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, to strengthen the role of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission and allow it to prosecute cases before the Federal High Court…�

The 70-clause amendment bill was passed on May 30, and was awaiting the consent of the House of Representatives, for it to be sent to the President for assent.

The CSOs pointed out that Section 3 of the Principal Act seeks to prune down the powers of the ICPC chairman with the insertion of a new subsection 3(11), creating offices for commissioners in the commission.

The Executive Director, CFT, Mr Umar Yakubu, urged the 10th Assembly not to resuscitate it, saying it would render the ICPC a toothless dog.

�We�re aware of the bill; however, we urge the National Assembly not to go ahead with such a bill, as no organisation can perform well if major responsibilities are taken away from the chief executive. The executive must be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the organisation.

�Now, when the Senate bill says some commissioners or board members can now take positions and make decisions on behalf of the executive chairman, that will lead to failure because it�s flawed. And it�s worse doing such to an anti-corruption agency that needs some level of independence to function properly without political interference,� Yakubu said.

Also, the Director of Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy, CMPA, Mr Ibrahim Uba-Yusuf, said,� �This is not one of the bills we will urge the National Assembly to revisit. Although NASS could revisit pending bills, it could not revisit bills such as the one that would affect the effectiveness of the ICPC chairman, as it would have a direct negative effect on Nigerians.�

�The chairman of the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies need enough freedom to allow them to function well. Hence, we at the CMPA urge the NASS to only pass laws in favour of Nigerians.�