The new President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Abubakar Mahmud, has advocated reform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mahmud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who made the call in his inaugural speech in Port Harcourt, Rivers State said that the reform should limit its role to investigation.
He said under the reform, the commission`s mandate to prosecute should be handled by an independent highly resource prosecution agency.
“The critical institutions involved must be repositioned, re-equipped and re-tooled to confront the problem of corruption on a consistent and sustainable basis.
“As a start, we commend the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Institution for the work it is doing and for its modest achievements.
“ However, going forward, the NBA must demand the reform of the institution itself. We need to define its mandate more narrowly and more clearly,” he said.
Mahmud said, “In my view, its broad objective as an investigative and prose curial agency should be reviewed.
“I recommend strongly that the EFCC be limited to investigation,” he said.
The president said the NBA anti-corruption committee would be mandated to develop clear recommendations toward enhancing the fight against corruption and improving the effectiveness of the agencies involved.
Mahmud said the NBA would advocate urgent reforms that would reposition the judiciary and make it play crucial roles.
He said a clean, efficient and knowledgeable judiciary, was a foundation for building orderly, peaceful and prosperous society.
“The NBA under my watch will fight judicial corruption. We shall make the legal profession unattractive for corrupt lawyers,” he said.
The president said that the NBA should take active interests in the happenings in the North-East and Niger Delta Region.
He said the NBA would set up a North-East task force to assist members affected by the conflict, provide legal services to individuals and communities who were victims of the conflict and monitor human rights issues.
He also said the association would set up a Niger Delta task force to carry out similar assignments in the area, especially providing legal support to advise on general challenges to enhance environmental protection and quality of life.
Meanwhile, lawyers at the conference urged President Muhammadu Buhari to adequately fund university education in the country.
The association also urged the government to equip the military to enable it face the insurgence confronting the nation.
This is contain in a communique read by Mr Augustine Alege, outgoing President of NBA, at the end of its annual conference in Port Harcourt on Friday.
The association noted that education was central to human capital development in any country, just as it was imperative to properly equip the military.
According to the communique, proper equipment of the military will make it ever-combat ready and guarantee its success in any military adventure.
It urged the military to ‘’returned to its ethics and educate the young officers on the ethics of military profession to achieve good conducts
The communique stated that the Federal Government should separate religion and tribal sentiment from governance because it could damage a lot of things and the integrity of government.
NBA said that there was urgent need for the National Assembly to amend Military and Prison Acts in line with best global practice.
It urged the National Human Right Commission to concentrate on its traditional responsibility of advocacy, rather than usurp the functions and responsibilities of other authorities in the country.
The association warned that lawyers caught writing examinations for students of Nigeria Law School would be sanctioned accordingly.
NBA advised the executive and legislature to collaborate to avoid problems because no party should claim superiority over another.
The association advised lawyers to be computer literate to avoid being irrelevant in the scheme of things, and urged its members to assist in capacity building of young lawyers.
