Melaye: Bill Malicious, In Bad Faith

DINO Melaye, former member of the House of Representatives and arrowhead of the Progressive Group in the 6th Assembly, says the speed with which the EFCC amendment bill passed the first and second reading within two days in the House was suspicious.He implored the House to retrace its steps and not take the fight against corruption personal because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will outlive its present chairman.Melaye, from Kogi State said the bill, sponsored by Honourable Bassey Ewa, 'is myopic, porous, parochial and targeted at making a mess of the anti-corruption struggle and efforts of the EFCC.He decried the accelerated consideration of the bill, noting, 'it is not normal, considering the fact that there were two bills brought by the EFCC, which have been laying unattended to for upward of two months by the same House.''I was a member of the House of Representatives, and from the way the bill was packaged and the speed with which it passed the first and second reading in just two days, it's not normal in the House,' he said.He stated that the House members should have a rethink about the bill, which is targeted at the current chairman of the agency, Mrs. Farida Waziri, because 'Farida will come and go but the institution of the EFCC will remain.'He insisted that any action from the House members at this time should rather be to pass bills that would strengthen the operations of the agency, such as the Asset Forfeiture and the Whistle Blowers' Protection Bills.Melaye also commented on the aspect of the amendment, which states that anyone who wants to volunteer information to the EFCC must swear to an affidavit, describing it as 'myopic, porous and parochial compared to amending the Act of EFCC in order to enhance the operation of the agency.'According to him, 'it is the operations of these agencies that I think anybody who means well should be looking at. This matter should not be personalized.'While labeling the intention of the House members as 'in bad faith, malicious, capricious and adds no operational value to the EFCC,' he said that Mrs. Waziri had done well 'though there remains room for improvement in her fight against corruption.''The desperate and crude bill will not see the light of day because EFCC will outlive Waziri,' he added.
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