Corruption War: African Countries Must Do More To Win― Magu
Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has called on African countries to embrace measures aimed at taming corruption in the continent.
Magu stated this Thursday at a joint press conference in Abuja, addressed by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim.
The EFCC acting chair described illicit financial flows and money laundering as the biggest evil militating against the growth and development of African countries, adding that a successful against graft is a task that must be done.
He said: “I just came back from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They say they are silencing the gun. They are able to launch it this year. Silencing the gun against poverty, child abuse etc. I say it is good but why don you fire the cause of all these social evils.
“If you take corruption out, you will not be experiencing all these. Corruption is the greatest enemy of mankind; it is the cause of all evil. I think African countries need to open fire on corruption,” Magu declared.
He called for collaboration among African countries with a view to ensuring easy extradition of looters and the loots to the country of origin.
“Let African countries be united just like they have agreed to unite in taking a common position in asset tracking and returns. I think return is very, very important. The return should include the loots and the looters to the country of origin.
“If you can go to neighbouring countries and operate and come back, I don’t care if Ghanaians come and arrest Ghanaians here who have swindled money and killed people. I will help them arrest them and give them back. There should be protocol for extradition.”
The anti-corruption Czar submitted that Nigerians peculiarities and experience as a nation made every war against corruption to be imperative and all-involving, adding that, “corruption is not our culture and does not grow on our soil.”
“The objective of the walk are multifarious. The most significant of them are to sensitive, mobilise youths across the country to reject the evils of corrupt practices; enlist youths to partner with EFCC by providing information and actionable intelligence on fraudsters, organize youths as change agents and pace-setters in integrity and galvanize the energy and resourcefulness of youths to prevent corruption in all sectors of our polity,” Magu added.
On his part, NYSC DG, Brigadier-General Ibrahim, stated that the Service had been involved in long time collaboration with EFCC to tackle corruption in the country, saying, “NYSC mobilizes over 350,000 corps members. EFCC discovered that if the potential of the corps members is tapped, we will be able to mobilise Nigerian youths in the fight against corruption.”
