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| Students from Government Girls Secondary School, GGSS, Dutse Abuja |
Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has called for greater collaboration among agencies, organizations and the international community in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
He made the call on Friday, December 8, 2023 in Abuja at a
One-day seminar to commemorate the 2023 International Anti-Corruption
Day. At the seminar, put together by the Inter-Agency Task Team, IATT, in
collaboration with the European Union, EU, International Institute for
Democracy and Electoral Assistance, IDEA, Rule Of Law and
Anti-Corruption, ROLAC, the United Nations Office On Drugs and Crimes,
UNODC and MacArthur Foundation, Olukoyede stated that the EFCC alone nor
any other agency in the business of fighting corruption cannot operate without
collaborating with others to achieve greater results.
The EFCC boss spoke through Director Operations of the
Commission, Abdulkarim Chukkol and explained that “collaboration speaks
strongly to the fact that neither the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, nor any other agency in the business of fighting corruption can do it
alone. The multi-dimensional nature of corruption and sophisticated tactics
which anti-social elements now deploy in ensuring that they defraud others or
expropriate our commonwealth and protect the proceeds of their crimes for themselves
and families make collaboration compelling.”
He further stressed that the theme of the event “Uniting the
World against corruption” was appropriate, adding that it resonated loudly with
the celebration of twenty years of United Nations Convention Against
Corruption, UNCAC, being the legally- binding multilateral anti-corruption
protocol adopted by the United Nations member states in 2003. He identified
corruption as an existential threat, fatal to the survival of nations and their
people, adding that the only one option left for the global community is to
unite in battle against it.
“The world understands that corruption can be hedged in, and
as such have at various times fashioned bilateral and multilateral treaties and
protocols as instruments of warfare against the scourge. What should be of
great concern is the enhancement of the global counter instruments, bringing
them continuously up to a cutting edge that would make it impossible for
anti-social elements who operate in trans-border rings to evade or circumvent
them.”
He urged the global community to unite and work together in
the fight against corruption through intelligence sharing, capacity building,
field operation collaborations and renewed commitment to provide effective
mutual legal assistance across jurisdiction.
He reiterated the EFCC’s resolve to ensure that corruption
and the corrupt do not win against the country and the citizens, adding that
“taking the corrupt down is a full scale war for us in the EFCC. Under my
watch, the Commission will not pull its punches no matter who is involved. We
will fight corruption with renewed energy and zeal.”
In her remark, representative of the Attorney General and
Minister of Justice, Victoria Ojogbane, stated that December 9 “is the day designated
globally to raise awareness on the negative effects of corruption on diverse
aspects of our life and to restate commitment to the fight against corruption.
This year represents twenty years of the adoption of the United Nations
Convention against Corruption, UNCAC. Nigeria was one of the early
signatories to the convention and has since shown commitment to the fight
against corruption by making sure her treaty or deliberations are fulfilled”.
Director General, Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency
Initiatives, NEITI, Orji Ogonnaya Orji, called for renewed commitment from all
stakeholders in the fight against corruption. “We need to review our commitment
and approach to the war against corruption, our new approach requires global
partnership, collaboration in sharing information and data, human capital
development, passion and interest including inter-agency cooperation.” he said.
Representative of the United States, Jason Smith assured that
the United States was committed to working with Nigeria and the international
partners to reinforce anti-corruption efforts.
A debate was organized for some selected secondary school
students to commemorate the anti-corruption day. Students from Government Girls
Secondary School, GGSS, Dutse Abuja, emerged the overall winner.
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