CIFIAN begs Buhari to sign “Forensic Investigative Auditors Bill”

The Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Auditors of Nigeria (CIFIAN) has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Bill establishing the institute which has been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

Dr. Victoria Enape, Protem President of CIFIAN, who made the appeal in Abuja on Thursday during a news conference, noted that the fight against corruption would not be complete without forensic auditors.

Enape explained that fraud, corruption and cyber-crimes volume in the country had ran into trillions of naira from initial N25billion in five years, and as such urged the president to sign the bill to broaden the fight against corruption.

She said the signing of the Bill would also eliminate quack practices in forensic investigation.

“As we are aware, fraud, corruption and cyber-crimes in Nigeria have now moved to trillions of naira and no longer in billions.

“It is a statement of fact that as distasteful as it is to hear that our nation Nigeria is rated among countries with very poor fraud prevention records in the world.

“It is even more worrisome to know that despite the federal government’s renewed efforts in tackling fraud, corruption and cyber-crimes, very little results have been achieved especially in the area of securing convictions against perpetrators of fraud.

“This is because many of the cases especially the high profile ones are either thrown out for want of evidence or are unnecessary delayed and stocked in court for years due to one reason or the other.

“Forensic is one of the last hopes of this country because fraudsters can only be prevented if those that committed fraud are prosecuted.

“With forensic in town, all corrupt persons have no hiding place in Nigeria as it were, and that is why some group of persons are so desperate about killing the Forensic Bill,” Enape said.

She expressed regret that the activities of fraudsters had made the citizens of the country to live beggarly in the midst of natural wealth God blessed the country with.

Enape also regretted that some negative forces were bent on frustrating the signing of the Bill into law but noted that President Buhari abhors corruption and would do all that were needed to free the country from bondage of corruption.

“Corruption is fighting back seriously.

“Those opposing Forensic Bill in Nigeria should be hiding their faces in shame having accommodated a professional body that has contributed in emptying government treasury through aiding and abating.

“This has led Nigeria into one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

“Rather than brandishing their scorecard with impeccable evidence of what the body had achieved over the years, they have opted for cheap blackmail, campaign of calumny, disrepute and character assassination to gain cheap popularity.

“These are moving towards oblivion.

“It smacks like the handwork of some individuals who apparently have certain things they don’t wish the public to know about, that are masquerading behind these bodies.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that the reasons advanced by those against the assent of the Forensic Bill are unfounded, misleading and only intended to misrepresent the noble objective of the bill,” she added.