The Acting Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu said the commission has recovered about N17billion for the Federal Government through the whistle-blowing policy introduced in December last year.
Magu made this revelation Thursday night while presenting the Anniversary Lecture to commemorate the 62nd Founders’ of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ).
Magu, who was represented by Dr. Akeem Bello, said in the lecture titled : “Before Corruption Kills Nigeria” that the money recovered was in naira and other foreign denominations.
He reeled out the recovered loot to include: N521,815,000, $53,272,747, £122,890, and €547,730 respectively.
Magu also said the anti-corruption agency had recorded 62 convictions in the first quarter of the year, including the former Governor of Adamawa, James Ngilari, who was prosecuted and jailed for corrupt practice.
He appealed to the media to support the whistle-blower policy and join hands with government in subduing corruption which has hampered the economic growth of the country and is endemic in many facets of public.
He cited the $2billion arms deal scandal that indicted the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki and several former and serving senior military officers as one of the efforts of EFCC to battle corruption.
“There is corruption in many ways and forms in the country and the ways by which the battle can be won is if the media and well- meaning Nigerians support the crusade. The EFCC is committed to pursuing its statutory mandate and to rescue the Nigerian state and its people from being killed by corruption. With the government and people of Nigeria behind the EFCC, we shall surely be victorious”, Magu said..
Former NUJ President, Sani Zoro Mohammed, who represents Gumel/Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar/Gagarawa at National Assembly, lauded Magu for his anti-corruption crusade saying that his searchlight on corruption in the arms scandal has also exposed the media as collaborators.
NUJ President, Abdulwaheed Odusile, said the media existed to monitor the other arms of government and to hold government accountable.
“Federal government’s fight against corruption is beginning to gain roots, but regrettably, we have not seen similar commitment on the part of the other tiers of government. The state and local governments have shown lukewarm attitude against corruption, whereas a whole lot of corruption is going on at their levels, especially in local government administration, such that some are even calling for the scrapping of the third -tier of government,” Odusile said.
(Thisday)
