Some lawyers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to back up his anti-corruption campaign mantra with visible actions.
The lawyers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews, said the administration must demonstrate strong political will to tackle corruption.
They contended that if political will is strengthened and impunity checked, corruption would be curbed.
Mrs. Chinaelo Eruchalu, a legal practitioner, said if the leaders curb impunity, live by example, the followers would have no alternative than to abide by the law.
“We have more than enough of legal framework to curb corruption in the country, but the same people that made the laws flout them.
“We have EFCC and ICPC and other similar agencies established to tackle corruption, yet cases of corrupt practices are so many in the country.
“The Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 was to combat the persistent fraudulent activities that have negatively affected the Nigerian business reputation.
“The level of impunity displayed by the elite is suffocating; anyone could do anything so brazenly and go free,’’ she said.
Eruchalu noted that the struggle among political class to occupy positions of authority stems from the belief that when one occupies a position of authority, he or she is free to loot the treasury get away with it.
She called on the government to show determination in the fight against corruption by ensuring that offenders face the wrath of the law.
Speaking in the same vein, another lawyer, Mr Shaka Awalieme, said that men of incorruptible minds should be appointed to the bench.
He stressed that when people of integrity are appointed to the bench, there would be no room for selective and perverse justice.
“We have more than enough laws to fight corruption in the country, but the custodians of the law should be truthful and trustworthy too.
“They should dispense justice without fear or favour to all manner of men irrespective of tribe, religion or social status,’’ he stressed.
Awalieme added that there should be effective enforcement of anti-corruption laws to ensure compliance and deterrent.
Mr. Austin Nwosu, another legal practitioner, called for the creation of special courts to handle corruption related matters.
He said though there were efforts in that line by designating certain courts to handle EFCC and ICPC matters, but they were still subject to legal technicalities.
According to him, the creation of such special courts would remove the technical bottlenecks still prevalent in the trial of corruption cases.
NAN
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