EFCC CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION 15-09-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has stated that corruption was the key issue promoting insecurity in the country and called for a collective fight against it.
He stated this at Annual Civil-Military Conference, organized by Civil-Military Cooperation, CIMICO, at the National Defence College, Abuja.
Mr .Olukoyede who spoke through the Director of Public Affairs Department, Commander of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren stated that “Corruption remain the key issue in terms of the promotion of insecurity in this nation.
” When people talk about insecurity and national development, one factor that is important to note is the implication of corruption on national security management and development. It is time for us to collectively fight corruption which has become a major challenge to our nation’s development”, he said.
The EFCC Chairman stated that corruption breeds poverty, which in turn makes the jobless to embrace recruitment into banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
Mr Olukoyede pledged EFCC’s unwavering support to the armed forces in the fight against insecurity and to ensure that proceeds of crime are not deployed by rogue elements to encourage terrorist activities.
“We will continue to monitor the flow of funds, especially in the banking sector, to ensure that illicit money doesn’t get into the hands of bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists,” he said.
The convener and founder CIMICO, Mr. Adams Otakwu urged civil society organizations to be driven by patriotism and stay off fraudulent activities.
“Civil societies must be genuine and not be involved in fraudulent activities. Our role is to call public institutions to accountability, not to indulge in blackmail. That is not activism, and we must desist from that and engage in productive ventures. As civil society organizations, we are the conscience of the society; if we lose it, we lose everything. It is not about money; it is about patriotism,” he said.
The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Morakinyo Olotu, stated that the essence of the conference was to brainstorm and bring forth solutions to the government on insecurity. “We aim to develop implementable strategies to tackle insecurity and promote national development,” he said.
The representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babatunde Bolaji Bernard, emphasized the need to reach and educate people at the grassroots level against aiding terrorists and criminal elements and for members of the public to desist from spreading fake news churned out by criminals.
The Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, called for a concerted effort from all Nigerians in tackling insecurity, stating that “Security affairs are everybody’s business, not just the police and other law enforcement agencies. We must join hands with the police and other law enforcement agencies to end the menace of insecurity.”
The event, themed: “Whole of Society Approach to National Security and Development,” brought together stakeholders from various sectors for the forging of solutions to insecurity in the country and the promotion of national development.