NBA Partners with the EFCC on AntiCorruption Crusade

The Nigerian Bar Association and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Wednesday resolved to enter into a strategic partnership in the nationwide war against corruption.

This understanding was reached when the NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh SAN led members of the Association’s Anti-Commission chaired by Dr. Theo Osanakpo SAN to pay the EFCC Acting Chairman Mr. Ibrahim Magu a courtesy visit at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Alegeh emphasised that the NBA takes the issue of discipline and corruption very seriously and that his administration on assumption of office in September 2014 increased the number of disciplinary committees from 8 to 20 and the number of NBA prosecutors from 7 to 20 in order to strengthen the work of the committees.

This singular action he explained has yielded positive results as many lawyers have either lost their practice license or are facing trial before the committees.

Alegeh also intimated the EFCC Chairman and senior management staff who were on hand to welcome the NBA team that the Association had in the past collaborated with the EFCC, but that further collaboration is now needed in order to help Nigeria actualise its war against corruption.

The NBA had however gone to court in the past few years over the SCUML Regulations which stipulate that legal practitioners must disclose monies received in transactions with clients. The NBA won the court case, but further designed and formulated self-regulating measures like the Know your Client provisions which places a greater burden on lawyer-client financial relationships.

On the recent arrest by EFCC operatives of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Alegeh noted that while the NBA condemns in the strongest terms such brazen impunity, his team was not at the EFCC headquarters to discuss the matter which has become sub judice because the senior lawyer involved has gone to court to seek redress.

The Chairman of NBA AntiCorruption Commission Dr. Theo Osanakpo SAN reiterated the readiness of his commission to work and partner with the EFCC on every strategic issue in the fight against corruption, noting that the need to dialogue and interface more frequently with the EFCC has become quite imperative.

Both parties agreed to immediately set up a joint body comprising of members of the NBA and EFCC to work out the modalities for the partnership with a view to erasing hitherto deep seated mutual mistrust and apprehension from either side and the joint committee was mandated to commence meetings and dialogue immediately.

The acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu stated that ‘In the history of our country, there has never been a more destructive force than corruption and the war that we have been recruited to fight, is not one for the faint hearted nor is it a war of half-measures.’

Magu noted that while the Commission has over the years relied on internal and external lawyers to carry out its mandate, regrettably the attitude and activities of some senior lawyers have left many wondering as to whose side they are on in the anti-corruption fight.

He urged that all lawyers must endeavour to always ask their clients the source of their wealth.