…as EFCC tasks lawyers to uphold professional ethics
Odoba Abel, the Oyo State camp coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that the Corps members from the camp have been working as ambassadors of the Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA), propagating anti-corruption campiagn in the rural areas of the State.
Odoba stated this at a media chat after a sensitization programme held at the Oyo State Permanent Orientation Camp, Okeho-Iseyin road in Iseyin, by the management members of (OYACA).
The Camp Coordinator said the Corps members might come from different backgrounds and orientations, but are imbued with good moral standard at the camp, adding that the periodic sensitization campaign by OYACA had succeeded in reshaping the characters of the young minds for developmental programmes of the present administration in the State and their lives after the compulsory orientation programme.
He commended the State Government for establishing the Agency and equipping it with needed resources and human capacity to delivering on the task to rehabilitate the young ones.
“The Corps members come to the orientation camp with various tendencies, and NYSC is seen as a moralistic ground where morals are taught and where Corp members are graduated with good moral and character.
“The presence of the Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency at orientation camp every time is to reshape their character towards the developmental programme of the present administration. Your coming to orientation camp is to reawake their sense of reasoning toward a better path in life, we are guiding them not only for NYSC, but also for their lives after NYSC.
“Your coming always to the orientation camp is yielding great impact in their lives. They are passing your messages to the rural dwellers, even secondary schools and their places of primary assignment on how to shun corruption. These students are like your extension in the rural areas. Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency is very important and I wish that all states of the federation have an independent anti-corruption agencies to continue this work. there should be anti-corruption agency of each state.
Eni Esan, a retired Justice, who is also Chairman of OYACA, in her speech at the event, said the enlightenment campaign was necessary because the Corps members had been serving as the ambassadors of OYACA by replicating the reorientation messages at their places of primary assignment.
Esan, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Ibrahim Tijani, called on the young men and women to contact the OYACA Office in Ibadan or the branch office in Iseyin, as well as the Agency’s website (www.oyaca.ng) whenever they see or hear of any corruptive act or tendencies.
Meanwhile, Ola Olukoyede, Chairman, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged defence counsels in the Commission’s cases to be guided by the ethics of their profession in the discharge of their duties to their clients.
Olukoyede gave the charge recently through the Ibadan Zonal Director of the EFCC and Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Hauwa Garba Ringim when the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) Ibadan Branch, led by its chairman, Ibrahim Lawaln paid her a courtesy visit.
Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft Agency, quoted olukoyede saying that “It is disheartening how a reasonable number of lawyers come into EFCC premises and begin to display unprofessionalism; trying to interfere in investigation activities and pushing to get things done their own way, outside the standard operating procedure of the EFCC.
“Why would a lawyer walk into the EFCC office to see his client and tell the investigating officer that he or she ought to have concluded investigation on his or her client, and that if the officer does not conclude investigation within his stipulated time he will frustrate the efforts of the investigating officer? This is appalling.”
While emphasizing the need for consistent stakeholders’ engagement between the Bar and EFCC towards effective service delivery, Olukoyede frowned at the situation in which lawyers would roam EFCC premises, “hunting for clients without considering the decency of their profession.”
