Date Published: 02/01/11

Anti-Graft War: "There will be no sacred cow" -FG

Namadi Sambo

A fresh commitment to the anti-graft war was on Tuesday February 1, 2011 made by the Federal Government, as it renewed its vow to  stamp out corrupt acts in the country, no matter whose ox is gored.  Vice- President Mohammed Namadi Sambo re-stated this commitment while performing the ground- breaking ceremony of the new headquarters of the Economic and Financial |Crimes Commission, EFCC in Abuja .  He said that Nigeria’s place in the comity of nations was pivotal and that this could only be justified by extirpating all acts of economic and financial crimes, so as to be able to resolve some of the world’s most intractable problems particularly in Africa .

 “This project is a testimony of government’s commitment and determination to reform governance and reduce corruption to the barest minimum. The project is a message to Nigerians  and indeed the international community that this government will ensure that the rule of law and justice prevail in our national life. It is a message that perpetrators of corruption no matter their rank or position will be exposed and brought to justice”, he said.  Sambo, while commending  the EFCC  for the vision of  conceiving what he called an ‘architectural masterpiece,’ stressed that good governance, democracy and development are all dependent on  a robust anti- corruption work. He therefore assured that government would provide all the incentives needed by all the anti-corruption agencies to fight corruption.

The Vice President reviewed the achievements of the EFCC since its inception and gave a verdict of excellence to the Commission. “The EFCC has done remarkably well since it was established seven years ago. It remains one of the most respected institutions of government today domestically and internationally. It has brought pride to Nigeria , strengthened our democracy and helped to change  the perception of Nigeria as an advance fee fraud nation”, he said.   Sambo further noted  that the continuous improvement in the Transparency International global corruption perception index of Nigeria was largely as a result of the impressive work of the  Commission.

Speaking earlier in her welcome address, the  EFCC Chairman,  Mrs.Farida Waziri, said that the physical attendance of the Vice- President at the ground-breaking ceremony  not only underscored government’s commitment to fight corruption, it also showed that there are better prospects for a corrupt-free nation in the future.  She said that, within its few years of operation, the Commission has recovered over $11 billion and secured hundreds of convictions. She expressed appreciation to the government for approving the construction of the new headquarters of the EFCC.

 The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by top government officials, including representatives of the FCT Minister and the Inspector-General of Police.