The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says what it achieved
within the last 11 months in terms of looted asset recovery surpassed its
first 12-year record.
Its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, made the fact known when a team of
participants at the National Management Course of the Pakistani National
School of Policy visited him in Abuja on Tuesday.
“We have achieved a lot in terms of recovery of looted funds and property
in the past 11 months more than was achieved in the last 12 years of the
existence of the commission.
“We have had many challenges but for me, my main motivation is the
political goodwill we enjoy,” Magu said in a statement.
“My men are determined and committed to work. Most importantly, the
government is also ever ready to support us,” he added.
Mr. Magu was appointed acting chairman of the EFCC on November 9, 2015,
making him the fourth helmsman of the commission.
On June 4, the Federal Government released a list of recovered stolen
funds broken down as N78 billion, $185 million dollars, 3.5 million pounds
and 11,250 Euros.
According to the government, the funds were recovered between May 29, 2015
and May 25, 2016.
The EFCC boss told his guests that the anti-corruption campaign of the
President Muhammadu Buhari administration was total, geared towards
bringing the nation’s economy back on track.
He said the commission, under his leadership, had upped the ante in the
fight against graft with remarkable success.
He said that in order to check corruption amongst staff, the commission
created a Department of Internal Affairs, DIA, charged with the
responsibility of vetting intending staff.
According to him, the DIA also investigates staff, receives petitions from
the public concerning its personnel and makes sure all staff members
maintain integrity.
The leader of the eight-man delegation and director at the NSP, Irum
Bukhari, said the visit was to enable the team to learn from EFCC.
“We want to know your composition, your success stories and the laws that
govern your activities as we also strive in our country to fight
corruption, extremism and terrorism,” he said.
Mr. Bukhari explained that the delegation comprised top civil servants who
had served the Pakistani government for many years.
She said they were at EFCC “to study and improve themselves in order to
handle key positions in the decision making of our country”.
She expressed optimism that the visit would further strengthen the
bilateral relations between Nigeria and Pakistan.
(NAN)