Sign Executive Order On Unexplained Wealth, Ndume Tells Buhari
Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, All Progressives Congress, APC, Borno South has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth as a powerful tool for financial investigation in the country.
According to him, Unexplained Wealth Order must be domesticated in Nigeria as obtained in the United Kingdom.
Speaking with Journalists yesterday in Abuja, Senator Ndume said that if the just confirmed Substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa will carry out his work effectively with results achieved, it has become very imperative for President Buhari to sign the Unexplained Wealth Order, UWO.
Ndume stressed that the President should send the Order as an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for approval, subsequent passage and signing into law.
Ndume said, ‘Unexplained Wealth Order must be domesticated in Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari should sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth to enable the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa to work. If one is in a house more than his salary, government should go after such a person to explain how he got the money.
“Mr. President should send a Bill to that effect to the National Assembly to work on and pass.” It will be recalled that from January 31, 2018, new powers enabled the UK Government to query “Unexplained Wealth” and seize assets whose funding source cannot be explained. The UK courts can grant Unexplained Wealth Orders and forfeit property for which the owners are unable to prove the source of fund. The properties will be transferred to the UK Government and sold to fund their law enforcement efforts.
The Senator who kicked against plea bargaining said that he is totally against it and anyone in the country who steals Government irrespective of his or her position, must be brought to book and be dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others.
Ndume said, ‘I don’t support plea bargain, anyone who steals Government money must be dealt with seriously. On the new Service Chiefs, Ndume who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army said that there will be more synergy compared to the previous ones against the backstop that the new Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Air Staff are professional colleagues, they are family friends, dated back to their days at the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA where they were classmates, the Chief of Naval Staff was their immediate junior.
He said, ” they will work together, we have a new hope. Soldiers should be given what they want, there will be peace. I have confidence in the new Service Chiefs. If we want the war to end quickly, the Nigeria Army must be better equipped, with sophisticated weapons, increased personnel and better and improved funding.”