Magu preaches integrity as EFCC launches ‘Clean Hands’
(Nigeria) Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has charged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of
‘ living with clean hands’ as a way of
stamping out corruption from the society.
Magu, who stated that the job of EFCC entails confronting
looters of the nation’s commonwealth, taking on impunity and restoring hope to
the hopeless, said the Commission had been reshaping the face of law enforcement
in Nigeria in the past 13 years.
In his welcome address titled ‘‘We Must Win The War on
Corruption and Impunity’’ during the
launch of EFCC Clean Hands Campaign on May 26, 2016 in Abuja, he added that the
Commission had kept faith with its mandate and the expectations of Nigerians.
‘‘In just six months
of this year, we have secured over 140 convictions, including some elusive
‘high profile’ criminals. We have recovered billions of dollars worth of stolen
funds and blocked numerous avenues of money laundering,’’ he said.
He also stated that
the commission had also given its prevention mandate a new lease of life,
adding the people were now fully
informed of its activities on all
communication channels.
According to him, the new strategies being employed by EFCC
had enabled Nigerians to take direct ownership of the war on corruption.
‘‘Citizens are now more disposed to preemptively act against
corruption; and where the act has been committed, they are willing to work with
EFCC to fish out the criminals. However, in order to ensure that justice is
fully served to the victim, the perpetrator and the society, it is important
for us all to continue to hold everyone in the justice delivery chain
accountable,’’ he added.
Magu also urged Nigerians to continue to mount ‘‘due
pressure’’ on the Commission to carry out diligent investigation and
prosecution and to inform the people of its activities.
He, however, charged Nigerians to also take more seriously
their watchdog role over the members of the National Assembly, so as to make
them more alive to their responsibilities to pass laws that are adequate and
functional.
‘‘Nigerians must also take more seriously their watchdog
role over the judiciary to meet the yearnings of Nigerians for justice,’’ he
added.
In her address, the Co-founder of the Transparency
International and Co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign, Dr. Oby
Ezekwesili, urged every Nigerian to be involved in the fight against
corruption.
Ezekwesili, who
commended the vigour and commitment of Magu in the fight against corruption,
said: ‘‘If any Nigerian is serious at
all about the necessity for the greatness of nation, then, he or she must take
the fight against corruption seriously. This is because the consequence of not
taking the fight against corruption seriously is that the nation will forever
be mortgaged.
‘‘Nigeria is a country that the whole world agreed had
incredible potentials to be one of the leading countries of the world. As a matter of fact, at the time of Nigeria’s
Independence, many around the world took a bet that Nigeria was the black
nation that would likely put in hot pursuit all other nations of the world in
terms of greatness that it had.
‘‘Sadly, 56 years after Independence, when some of those
nations that took a bet on Nigeria look at what has become of the country, they
ponder what has gone wrong. But what has
gone wrong is what the EFCC has been established to tackle.’’
Also speaking, the Chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes and Anti-coruuption, Kayode
Oladele, said it was important to start the fight against corruption from the
grassroots.
According to him, ‘‘from time immemorial, we always know
that one of the things that the EFCC does is to investigate and prosecute
people who are found wanting for breach of public trust and corruption. But we
have found out that the people who lead us did not fall from heaven. They are
part and parcel of the society. Therefore, if we want to ensure that we stamp
out corruption, then, we have to start from the grassroots.’’
He also urged Nigerians to see themselves as fighters
against corruption, beyond giving legitimacy to the work of the EFCC.
The EFCC Clean Hands Campaign, which kicked off with a walk
by staff and management of EFCC, among other interest groups, also featured
match past and choreography by a number of primary and secondary school
students in Abuja.
The event was held simultaneously in all EFCC offices across
the country. In Port Harcourt, Mr. Ishaq Salihu, the Zonal Head, South –South,
urged every Nigerian to embrace the fight against corrupt practices. "The
fight against corruption is for our collective good as the country is gradually
drawing towards the precipice due to corruption". He said it was time every patriotic Nigerian
took up the gauntlet to fight corruption and money laundering if we are desirous
of a better country.
The rally drew a mammoth crowd including members of the
civil society and stakeholders in the fight against corruption, such as
Citizens for Anti corruption Corps, Rivers State; Patriotic Forum of Nigeria;
members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, CDS group and officers of
the EFCC.
At the Commission’s new Zonal Office in Maiduguri, staff of
the Commission and stakeholders staged a massive anti- corruption walk which
commenced from Ramat Polytechnic opposite Police Command Maiduguri and
terminated at the Commission’s office where the Zonal Head Ibrahim Bappa called
on Nigerians to rally round the Commission in the onerous task of fighting
corruption.
In Ibadan Akaninyene Ezima, Ibadan Zonal Head, who
represented the Ag. Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, reiterated the commitment of the
government and EFCC to the fight against corruption. “We all agree that
corruption is a menace and the present administration is determined to give it
a deadly blow. It is in line with this, that the Ag. Chairman of the Commission
deemed it necessary that we should embark on this sensitization and
re-orientation rally to drum up support for the crusade. It is also an
opportunity to further educate and create awareness about the presence of the
EFCC in Ibadan which was borne of the view to bring the fight against
corruption to the grassroots”, he said.
In solidarity with the government and the EFCC in
particular, the opinion leaders at the rally, express confidence in the
Commission, encouraging the public and educating them on the need to partner
with the Commission and support the fight against corruption.
Comrade Moshood Erubami, Professor Olawale Albert,
Prof. Bayo Okunade and Dotun Saseyi sued
for total support and cooperation from the stakeholders. “We have been hearing
about the fight against corruption with our ears but now the Commission is here
with us now and they are now soliciting for our support. Let us support them
and collectively we will all enjoy a better society”, Erubami remarked.
In Enugu, the state governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi whose
convoy met the EFCC procession on his way to the State House on Independence
Avenue, said he was in full support of the EFCC’s efforts in fighting the
menace of financial and economic crimes and corruption in the South East Zone
and Nigeria in general.
“I encourage this, (the rally) and I am against corruption.”
He stated amidst cheers from the crowd.
Later in his remark during the event, the EFCC South East
Zonal Head, Obioha Okorie expressed his appreciation to the Acting Chairman of
the Commission, Ibrahim Mustapha Magu for his foresight in initiating the rally
across the zones and in supporting the resuscitation of the fight against
corruption generally.
He stated that the rally was in line with the Commission’s
public enlightenment and sensitization mandate meant to warn and solicit the
support of Nigerians in the fight against graft. “What we have done is to
create awareness and to let people know the negative effects of corruption in
their lives and how to stem the ugly trend.”
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