Lateef Fagbemi Profers Solution to Offa-Erin-Ile, other communal disputes,  says ICPC, EFCC should be merged  * accompanied by Gov. AbdulRazaq, 7 SANs to screening 

By Fatai Ahmed

Lateef Fagbemi,senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a ministerial nominee said solution to perennial boundary disputes between Offa and Erin-Ile in Kwara State and similar disputes among other communities across the nation lies in the hands of the governor of the affected States.

Fagbemi made the submission while he was being screened by the senate as a ministerial nominee on Wednesday.

The question of finding solution to kwara and other states’ boundary disputes was put to him by the Senator representing Kwara south, Lola Ashiru. In response, Fagbemi said he aware there is Nigerian boundary commission which the governor of an affected state could seek solution from.

“Wether or not it will achieve harmony on land matter will depend a great deal on governors because very few  instances of inter-state disputes arise. So it behoves the governor of a particular state to take the bull by the horn and not play politics with it. This is very important.

“My advice is that it is the state governors that we will turn to, to do the needful. At the local government level,  it is the local government chairman who should also take the bull by the horn. At the federal level, the boundary commission, which is the body recognised by law, should spring to action.

“But my general advice is that we should nip these disputes in the bud as soon as you realise that there’s going to be a boundary or communal dispute. I will advise the authority to swing into action and not allow it to fester or get to such a magnitude that will not be unmanageable “

On how to effectively tackle the endemic corruption afflicting the country, Fagbemi said the nation’s two anti-corruption agencies, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be merged to perform separate functions of investigation and prosecution.

The legal luminary, while suggesting ways to effectively fight corruption in the country, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Related Commission (ICPC) should be “brought together” to perform separate functions of investigation and prosecution.

“Truth be told, we fight corruption but at the same time, the way it is being fought in Nigeria leaves much to be desired,” Fagbemi said.

“If I have my way, I’ll advise the president to unbundle, first of all, bring ICPC and EFCC together, unbundle them.

“Investigation should not be handled by the same body that must be the supervisory authority within the same system.

“Prosecution is another body. It doesn’t augur well to ask the same authority to (carry out) investigation and prosecution. That is why we have problems.”

Fagbemi also emphasised that conducting investigations requires “patience” to ensure a thorough and proper examination.

He said: “We are not also patient enough. Investigation takes time, especially in serious corruption cases. Are we prepared to wait?

“My take is that, a situation such as the one that happened when Hushpuppy was arrested. They have been trailing him for years but he didn’t know, and nobody talked to him. But the day they said the time was up, he also knew that the time was up.

“Investigation should be thorough. It shouldn’t be that when a sitting governor leaves office then say EFCC is inviting you. That is not the way to prosecute criminal and corruption matters.

“We have to put in place very good laws to do this.”

The SAN asked the parliament to make laws that will be good for society without the lawmakers “anticipating” how it will affect me.

Fagbemi, who is a nominee from Kwara, was accompanied to the red chamber by AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, governor of the state, and several SANs, including Wole Olanipekun, Yusuf Ali and Adeniyi Akintola.