Date Published: 04/23/10

Anti-Graft War: Civil Society Groups express support for EFCC

A coalition of civil society groups has expressed support for the anti-corruption works of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The coalition, comprising the Women Liberation Group, Next Generational Youth Initiative International and the Centre for Accountability,  Transparency & Good Leadership, on Friday, stormed the National Headquarters of the EFCC and stressed that nothing should stand in the way of the EFCC in its efforts aimed  at ridding the nation of corrupt practices.

Mr Bassey Effiong Ikot-Osin, coordinator of the group and national president of Centre for Accountability, Transparency & Good Leadership explained that the litany of achievements of the EFCC in recent times should endear it to the hearts of every Nigerian and urged that all hands should be on deck in assisting the EFCC in achieving its mandate.

Ikot-Otin emphasized that the anti-graft war must be broad-based and holistic in such a way that all corrupt Nigerians are brought to book.  “There are people who are walking round the streets, they have looted our treasury…….go to the North, West, South and East , they are everywhere walking the streets. We need such corrupt Nigerians to be in prisons in order to deter other people in offices not to loot our resources”, he said. He expressed support for the call for the establishment of Special Courts to try corruption cases and urged the National Assembly to do anything in its power to pass all bills initiated to curb corrupt practices into law. “The National Assembly must pass all enabling laws to strengthen the EFCC”, he said.

In his own comments, Ambassador Onoja, coordinator of one of the groups that visited the EFCC says that corruption has brought everything to its knees in Nigeria. He said that the EFCC should not be left alone in combating the evils of corruption. He frowned at those accusing the Commission of being selective in its works stressing that “EFCC cannot try 150 million Nigerians at the same time. I will continue to support the EFCC because it is doing a good job. EFCC is our hope of a better future because corruption has a way of mortgaging our collective future”. He also appealed to the government to strengthen the Commission by remunerating its staff adequately so that they will not be overwhelmed by the challenges involved in the anti-graft war. Onoja urged the EFCC not to be dismayed by the attack of unscrupulous elements on its staff, especially the recent attacks on the operatives of the Commission that went after the former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori. “Ibori is just one out of numerous corrupt elements in our midst that should no longer be allowed to walk our streets, their abode should be in the prison”,  he said.

Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, the Commission’s Secretary,  received the groups on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri. He thanked the groups and reiterated that EFCC is committed to ensuring good governance in Nigeria. “The EFCC is dispassionate. We don’t go after people for the fun of going after them. There must be a justifiable reason before we go after a suspect. I want to assure you that the work which the EFCC is set out to do, nothing will deter it from doing it”, he said. He also reminded members of the groups that the anti-graft war is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians. “The EFCC is not going to be able to succeed without your support. If all of us do our bit, Nigerians will be the better for it,” he stressed.

Femi Babafemi

Head, Media & Publicity

Friday