The Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) says it has concluded procurement process for the production of new certificates for applicants.
Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
Uwujaren said successful applicants would soon begin to receive notification to collect their certificates adding that, machinery had been set in motion to ensure that the backlog was cleared with dispatch.
He said the clarification was to guide the public in understanding the situations, relating to SCUML certificates.
According to him, the delay is purely administrative and has nothing to do with inefficiency as imputed in some quarters.
“SCUML empathises with genuine applicants for the difficulties of the past few days.
“All arrangements have been made to ensure that the process is returned to the established order of prompt and excellent service delivery,” he said.
Uwujaren said SCUML was aware of the difficulties currently being experienced by successful applicants for its certificate.
He said the development was caused by the suspension of the issuance of certificates to successful applicants by the SCUML.
According to him, the move is an administrative measure designed to bring the agency to full compliance with its statutory responsibilities and obligations under the new Money laundering Act, 2022.
He said the law, fundamentally, altered the existing regulatory framework and substantially, invalidates the certificates issued by SCUML.
“The law did not reflect SCUML new status as an agency fully domiciled in the EFCC.
“It therefore, became imperative to suspend the issuance of the old certificates until a new one that takes into account the new regulatory environment is printed.
“Being a security document, there are processes involved in its new printing,” he added.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
