Foreign accounts: Lawyers oppose bill

Some prominent lawyers in Lagos yesterday kicked against a bill seeking to allow public officers to operate foreign bank accounts.

The lawyers, in separate interviews, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it would encourage corruption.

NAN reports that the bill on Wednesday passed the second reading at the House of Representatives.

Under the extant Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, it is criminal for a public officer to operate a bank account outside Nigeria.

The bill seeks to amend the law “to make the leave of the Bureau necessary for a public officer to maintain or operate a bank account outside Nigeria.”

Chairman, Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Onyekachi Ubani said it would negate the fight against corruption.

“This bill cannot be a good measure in fighting corruption. Some public officers will now steal and stash the money in foreign accounts, if it is passed into law,” he said.

The NBA chairman said the lawmakers should focus on bills to boost the lives of Nigerians.

Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, executive director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), said the bill contravened the Code of Conduct for Public Officers Act.

Mumuni said: “What the legislators have done is to encourage people to loot our resources and stash them away abroad.

“It is a retrogressive step and well meaning Nigerians must condemn it.”

Rights’ lawyer Bamidele Aturu said it would send a wrong signal to the international community on our seriousness in fighting corruption.

Aturu said the bill would weaken Nigerian banks because more money would now be transferred outside the country.