ABUJA—
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may be crippled next
year if the Federal Government’s slashing of its 2013 budget proposal by
N11.7 billion sails through the National Assembly.
Already,
EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Larmode, has expressed concern that the
development might prevent the agency from meeting its personnel cost in
2013.
The
anti-graft agency had proposed N21,028,488,772 billion to fund its
operations in 2013, but the Budget Office approved N9,328,159,022
billion, less than half of the commission’s request to meet capital,
personnel and overhead expenditure items next year.
While
defending the commission’s 2013 budget proposals before the House of
Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes
yesterday, Larmode told the committee that the Federal Government failed
to release N25 million appropriated for the purchase of arms and
ammunition for the commission this year.
Members
of the Adams Jagaba-led Committee queried phased releases of funds by
the Finance Ministry to EFCC as evident in 15 percent deficit in
cash-backed 2012 release to the commission with a month left to the end
of the fiscal year.
Due
to allegations of politically-motivated prosecutions, EFCC has come
under criticisms lately for its seeming lukewarm approach to its
anti-corruption fight.
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