The Nigerian House of Representatives has queried the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for not recruiting over four hundred new staff as approved in the commission’s 2020 budget.
This was part of the resolution of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, when the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, appeared before the committee for 2021 budget defence.
The Committee’s Chairman, Alh. AbdulLahi Ibrahim Dutse said the request to recruit new staff made the committee increase the 2020 personnel cost of the commission.
“We observed that out of the appropriated N24.9 billion last year, N21.3 billion has been released and only N17.6b had been utilized.” The Chairman explained.
Responding, the Acting Chairman EFCC, Alhaji Mohammed Umar attributed the delay in the recruitment to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
While soliciting for more assistance to the commission, Alhaji Umar highlighted some of the challenges facing the commission which include special courts to try corruption cases.
He said “others include poor release of capital vote, under staff and security for the commission’s personnel.”
The Acting Chairman also lamented that the issue of 5% of the recoveries to be given as cost of collection to the commission had not been approved.
