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By Gabriel Dike
Vice-chancellor of Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State, Prof. Olatunji Oyelana, has called for close collaboration between the nation’s security agencies and foreign partners to address unexplained wealth.
L-R: Mr Jonathan Huth, Prof. Oyelana, Dr. Idigbe, Rimi, Adeniyi and UNICHRIS librarian, Ogechi Agu
Oyelana gave the charge at a two-day International Law conference hosted by the university’s School of Law, which attracted key stakeholders, including representatives of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), legal practitioners, foreign partners from the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Kenya, India and financial consulatants.
The programme is in collaboration with the AGA-Africa and with the theme “Unexplained Wealth in the Global South: Examining the Asset Recovery and Return Trajectory.”
He said the conference is a product of institutional collaboration involving a number of international institutions spearheaded by AGA-Africa, UNICHRIS and the University of Liverpool, UK, adding, “it is a tripartite initiative required to bring international and local experts and professional together to a round table to discuss and enunciate ideas, which would evolve into policy framework that can help empower the arms of government within the Global South nations to strengthen their operations and build capacity to win the battle against illicit accumulation of wealth.”
The VC said the topic was chosen in order to further examine the current operational practices of the agencies of government with the aim of building consensus on the way forward to enhance the understanding of what needed to be done. He described the theme as apt and right at this time in the nation’s quest for probity and accountability in government and businesses.
According to him, Mr. Olaonipekun Olukoyede, the executive chairman of the EFCC, presented the agency’s score card of the current exercise and efforts of the anti-graft body in their anti-corruption crusade, and would lead in the discussion of finding new techniques of ensuring that this battle is won through a more robust and effective operational procedure.
Oyelana explained that, on day two, Prof. Nicholas Ryder, a professor of Law, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, spoke on the same subject.
He added: “The discussions at this conference will be robust as the theme for the conference has further been broken down into three sub-themes, covering: democratic institutions, governance structure and corrupt practices, legal framework, judicial independence and accountability in governance and value system and emergence of leadership in developing countries within the Global South corridor.
“The two-day conference will be attended by officials from many anti-graft agencies of government, including; EFCC, ICPC, AMCON, police, the military, civil societies, members of the bar and bench, ministry of justice, academics and students across the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean, Arabs and Africa. The participants cut across the strata of the core experts and professionals that are in the forefront of justice system within the global South Regions.”
The UNICHRIS VC revealed that the outcomes from the conference, by way of policy recommendation, would help to expand and strengthen the legal framework relating to fraud discovery, asset tracing, recovery and misappropriation of illicit funds.
“This has being the bane of developmental challenges amongst the nations within the Global South. Most of the nations within this economic block are bleeding through these unwholesome practices by officials of government and captains of industries alike. I encourage that a communiqué arising from this conference be published and copies be forwarded to appropriate agencies of government and national assembly for the enactment of appropriate legislation.
“The theme for this conference will be developed and incorporated into our research focus as a university with the view of building enduring literature and research, as well as, setting the goals for future national and regional discuss that would attract more diverse audience. The ultimate for us as a university is to become the global centre for resources and repertoires, and to lead the advocacy in building international consortium for eradication of this illegal and unwholesome accumulation of illicit wealth that plunders the health of nations within the global South Region,’’.
He said, through collaboration with AGA-Africa, UNICHRIS seek to build a global coalition of real experts and professionals to constantly expose these practices with a view to providing recommendations at mitigating them.
The VC called on staff and students in the School of Law to brace up for the challenges ahead, stating, “this initiative will further help provide opportunities for international exposure, engagement and collaborations for staff and graduate students of our Law programme and help enrich our course content.”
In his address, the EFCC chairman, Mr. Olaonipekun Olukoyede lauded UNICHRIS for contributing its quota to the national issues and stressed that within eight, the institution has achieved a lot such as introduction of new courses, new building and accreditation of courses.
Olukoyed, who was represented by Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi said Section 7 of the law establishing the commission empowers it to investigate people living behind their wealth and that in Nigeria, unexplained wealth has become a national issue.
ICPC Commissioner for Lagos State, Mrs. Hadiza Rimi said the commission adhered to International best practice in asset recovery and that civil society are granted access to recovered asset.
Rimi said policy guidelines would be issued on recovered asset and hoped the conference would come up with workable solution on how to recover asset.
