EFCC: We’ll soon resume issuance of SCUML certificates

From Abubakar Y Ojima, Abuja

The Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) has said it will soon resume issuing certificates to successful applicants.

SCUML is domiciled under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with its activities focused on registration, certification and monitoring of designated non-financial institutions (DNFIs), such as luxury good dealers, legal practitioners, audit firms, hotels, tax consultants, among other such businesses.

President Muhammadu Buhari had, in May, signed the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2022, into law.

According to a statement issued on Saturday, Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesperson, said the delay experienced with issuance of SCUML certificates was an administrative measure to ensure total compliance with the Money Laundering Act 2022.

“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,” the statement reads.

“The law fundamentally altered the existing regulatory framework and substantially invalidates the certificates issued by SCUML, which did not reflect its new status as an agency fully domiciled in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“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 printing the new document.

“However, SCUML is delighted to announce that the procurement process for the production of the new certificates has been concluded and, very soon, successful applicants will begin to receive notification to collect their certificates as machinery has been set in motion to ensure that the backlog is cleared with dispatch.

“This clarification should guide the public understanding of the situation as it relates to SCUML certificates. 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 but assures that all arrangements have been made to ensure that the process is returned to the established order of prompt and excellent service delivery.”