Voice of Nigeria: The Chairman of Nigeria’s Anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu has called on Nigerians to unite and fight corruption for the safety of the nation and future generations.
Mr. Magu made the call at a stakeholders meeting held at the agency’s Zonal office in Kano state, north western Nigeria.
In his words, Magu said: “All the bad things happening in the country is because of corruption including the fight for Biafra and even boko haram.”
“The corrupt persons are not more than 10,000 against the 150 million Nigerians. They want to continue to remain comfortable with what they have embezzled so they cause problems.
Corruption denies people of their entitlements and makes them to react with violent traits.”
He added: “They want to divide this country and we must come together and say no. They should not be allowed to celebrate, we must fight corruption to a standstill to protect our unborn generation.
Let us put hands together to fight corruption especially among government agencies and the private sector.”
He said the stakeholders meeting was convened for the ant-graft agency to identify its weaknesses and strengthen its strategies since there is no one single approach to fighting corruption.
He said the agency was also being fine-tuned to carry out its duties without violence.
The Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ado Minjibr urged people especially civil servants to support the EFCC so that “money meant for staff salaries will not be diverted “stressing that some states are “suffering and owing up to ten months of salaries today because money meant for their salaries were diverted into private pockets.”
Some suggestions given to the agency by a coalition of civil societies at the meeting include: strengthening of the prosecution unit of the EFCC to stop losing high profile cases; whistle blowing legislation to be extended to smaller crimes, publication of cases for people and funds in contention.
They also suggested that the agency be more proactive than reactive. In the face of deficiency in staff numbers, they want volunteer staff to be used.
Also, more sensitization campaigns should be conducted at the grassroots, they say.
Similar stakeholders meetings are scheduled to be held across the country.
