A professor of Forensic Accounting has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to boost the investigation of corruption cases by equipping its forensic accounting unit.
Prof. Samuel Dada of Babcock University (BU), Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, made the submission while delivering the 41st inaugural lecture of the institution, titled: “The Forensic Accountant in a Global World of Corruption and Stunted Economic Growth.”
The university don recommended the engagement of trained experts, with attractive remuneration, to facilitate the investigation of corruption cases or the use of forensic accounting experts from professional accounting firms to serve as investigators and expert witnesses.
According to him, the engagement would help courts reach a conclusion on corruption cases without delay.
In his lecture, Prof. Dada also called for the strengthening of the legal framework to ensure that courts apply the provisions of Section 19, sub-section 2, of the EFCC Act, 2004, for the accelerated trial of corruption cases as well as government’s non-interference in corruption cases.
Dada said: “Government should not interfere in the operations of EFCC. No individual should be treated as a sacred cow.”
Apart from attractive pay, he attributed the success of the anti-corruption campaign in Hong Kong to the country’s anti-corruption agency’s independence from political interference and separation from the police force and the civil service.
He urged the judiciary not to use technicalities to dismiss cases of corruption as in the case of former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, whose case was dismissed by a Nigerian court but he was convicted by a court in the United Kingdom. This led to a 13-year jail term for the former governor and embarrassment for the Nigerian judicial system.
Prof. Dada submitted that the inclusion of ethics and forensic accounting in the curricula of tertiary educational institutions would both ensure effective professional training and create a stronger awareness of its value to “boost societal moral values.”