Nigerian Economy: EFCC won’t spare any businesses, organisations, others charging in Dollars — Ag. Spokesman

*Wilson Uwujaren, Acting Director of Public Affairs of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, again, warns Nigerians that the anti-graft regulatory will not spare anybody, once there is evidence that businesses, organisations and individuals are violating the country’s law

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Perhaps as a veritable measure to further address the current Foreign Exchange (Forex) liquidity issues in the Nigerian economy, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has restated its warning to businesses, organisations, and other entities conducting local transactions in Dollars.

ConsumerConnect reports Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Acting Director of Public Affairs at EFCC, said this while featuring on a Channels TV programme aired Monday, May 13, 2024, and monitored in Lagos.

The Acting Director of Public Affairs asserted the anti-graft Commission is intensifying at cracking down on businesses and others transacting in Dollars in the West African country.

The EFCC won’t spare anyone or businesses transacting in Dollars, stated he.

Uwujaren further said: “The ship has already left the train station. We have started a movement, and we are not going to relent.

“The advice I will have for Nigerians is that wherever you see this kind of development happening, the onus is on you to alert the EFCC.”

The EFCC top official also averred: “We can’t be everywhere but I can assure you that once we have the evidence that people are violating the law, the EFCC under the leadership of Ola Olukoyede will not spare anybody.

“The movement has started and we would not rest.”

No ban on Dollar transactions for ‘foreign missions’ but….

Uwujaren equally, clarified certain comments making the rounds about claims of a ban on foreign missions transacting in Dollars in the Nigerian economy.

According to him, the EFCC only issued an advisory as against a ban on Dollar transactions in Nigeria.

He noted: “What the EFCC has done is simply to issue an advisory through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreign missions operating in Nigeria.

“That advisory is based essentially on the Commission’s observation regarding transactions, especially consular service transactions by third-party agents operating on behalf of a number of foreign missions that we have in the country.”

The Acting Director of Public Affairs said: “We felt concerned that some of these third-party agents were invoicing for consular services in Dollars which to us is against the laws we have in this country.”

Restating the Naira is the only currency for transactions in the country, Uwujaren disclosed the Commission  has discovered that beyond invoicing in Dollars, “a number of them (culprits) went to the extreme of determining the exchange of Naira in their transactions. That for us was worrying.”