Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, Wednesday, vowed to go after all those who looted the funds meant for arms procurement and bring them to book.
Magu said the commission would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all those implicated in the diversion of the arms cash would be made to face the full weight of the law.
Magu said however that the commission had resolved to break the corruption chain in a fair, accountable and transparent manner in line with international best practice.
He disclosed that the commission has so far investigated a total of 1,881 cases within 2015 alone and would do more before the end of the year.
According to him, “Out of this figure, 280 cases were filed in courts and 78 convictions were secured.
Within the same period, eight interim and two final forfeiture orders were handed down by various courts on applications brought by the commission.
The EFCC boss further added that he had put in place machinery to sanitise the Commission internally.
Magu made the declaration at a public event to commemorate the International Anti-corruption Day with the theme ‘‘Break the Corruption Chain’’ in Abuja.
He also expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for creating an enabling environment for the commission to carry out its mandate, adding that he would undertake institutional reforms to increase the Commission’s capacity to fight corruption.
He, therefore, urged civil service organisations as well as other partners to join hands with the Commission in the anti-corruption fight.
‘‘Our common resolve is far stronger than the challenges we face in the fight against corruption.
‘‘Corruption is like a chain whose effect impacts various aspects of the society, undermines democracy and the rule of law, distorts markets, erodes quality of life, leads to human rights violations and fans the embers of terrorism and other threats to human security.’’
In his remark, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, BPSR, Dr. Joe Abah, called for the enhancement of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.
Abah stated that the newly introduced zero- based budgeting would ensure discipline in the implementation of budgets.
Also, Lilian Ekeanyanwu, representing the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms, TUGAR, urged the anti-corruption community to take advantage of the positive body language emanating from the Presidency.
“We must hit the ground running. We must have a national strategy to bring awareness about the issue of corruption and find methods to curb the malaise, while keeping the populace involved,” she said.
The Deputy Chief Mission of the United States Embassy, Maria E. Brewer, in her remark, stated that corruption could undermine institutions and slow development of any nation.
She said that the United States was ready to partner with Nigeria in the fight against corruption.
This year’s anti-corruption day was organised by the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It holds on December 9, every year.
