The Chattered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria (CIFIPIN) has petitioned the leadership of the National Assembly over the alleged duplication of a bill seeking to give legal backing to the institute.
The Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria 2021 (HB.791) had been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent.
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However, two other bills with similar mandates to those of CIFIPIN were introduced in the House of Representatives.
They are Chartered Institute of Forensics and Fraud Examiners of Nigeria, 2021 (HB 1220), and Chartered Institute of Computer Forensics of Nigeria, 2021 (HB 1491).
In a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, CIFIPIN said going ahead with the two other bills would be counterproductive and a waste of resources and urged the National Assembly to withdraw them.
In the letter signed by the legal counsel to CIFIPIN, E.S Gimba and Co, a copy of which was made available to journalists on Monday in Abuja, the Institute said the protest became necessary in view of clandestine moves to create overlapping functions.
“It is instructive to note that these two later bills are on the same subject matter as the earlier one which is Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria (CIFIPIN) bill 2021.
“It is in the public domain that they are moves by mischief makers to prevail on the Attorney-General of the Federation to discourage the final assent of Mr President to the new body,” it said.
The Institute expressed dismay that some federal lawmakers have become a willing tool in the hands of lobbyists to duplicate the activities of CIFIPIN in the course of time when passed by both chambers.
It, therefore, urged the lawmakers, who sponsored the two later bills, to withdraw them to avoid ridiculing the image of the parliament.