October 07, 2024
By Samuel Ogunsona
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on all Nigerians to join forces and fight against economic and financial crimes, as well as other corrupt practices.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 6th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Justices and Judges in Abuja, Tinubu emphasized that corruption has become a cancer that denies the nation its full potential.
Tinubu noted that no Nigerian is immune to corruption and that it’s in the collective interest to tackle this issue aggressively. He praised the EFCC’s efforts in combating corruption and pledged continued support to ensure the commission delivers its mandate without hindrance.
“No Nigerian is immune from corruption, a cancer which continues to deny the nation the full benefits of its God-given resources. Rather than look up only to the anti-corruption agencies for a solution to this malaise, I believe it is in our enlightened collective interest to close ranks and aggressively tackle this common enemy”, he said.
The President also acknowledged challenges in the justice sector, including frivolous applications, intimidation of judges, and judgments based on technicalities rather than facts. Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, highlighted additional challenges, such as frequent adjournments, conflicting court orders, and unwarranted injunctions.
Despite these challenges, Olukoyede stressed the EFCC’s commitment to engaging stakeholders locally and globally to combat corruption.
The commission has established Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) to focus on corruption prevention.
“the spectre of frequent adjournments of high profile corruption cases arising from frivolous applications, conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in corruption cases, intemperate contempt orders hauled at the Commission’s leadership, unwarranted orders of injunction restraining the Commission from investigating cases, are among a plethora of issues that bother the EFCC”. He noted.
Tinubu’s call to action echoes his previous statements on fighting corruption, including his commitment to providing incentives to make corruption unattractive and support greater wealth redistribution.
