Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government has warned the reconstituted governing board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against being involved in corruption.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha gave the warning yesterday at the inauguration of the board.
He urged the members to carry out their duty with responsibility, saying the federal government would not hesitate to sanction all infractions.
The SGF also decried the effects of financial crimes on the image of the country, saying it had prevented the country from attracting foreign investments.
“The unfortunate thing is that what we have battled with this internally and in-country, we have successfully exported it out of this country.
“So, your job and your role would extend beyond the borders of this nation. Because it does hurt our image as a country, it has deprived us of even direct foreign investment.
“It has created a doubt as to the sincerity of people doing business with us, outside the shores of our country, so we must do everything and you are the ones that are pivoted, assigned the responsibility of creating a new image for Nigeria, and your actions and activities will in no small measure help Nigeria redeem its image,” Mustapha said.
The Senate had on October 5, 2021, confirmed the nominations of Secretary of the Commission and Board Members of the EFCC as sent by President Muhammadu Buhari in accordance with the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.
The board headed by the EFCC Executive Chairman, AbdulRasheed Bawa has as members who are representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
In his remarks, Bawa expressed delight at the constitution of the board given that the EFCC had been without a board for six years arising from a series of events.
He thanked the president for entrusting on them the responsibility of fighting corruption in the country.
“We are happy for this day. And I want to assure the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that we are not unfamiliar with the daunting task before us. We have been doing well.
“Last year was a difficult year with COVID-19. But the EFCC has managed to, set a new record in terms of recoveries as well as you know, convictions.
“Last year alone, Your Excellency will recollect 2,220 convictions, which was the highest ever recorded within one calendar year by the EFCC. The closest to that was in 2019 when the EFCC recorded only 1,280 convictions. Looking at also the figure of cases that we have lost within the same calendar, we lost 37 cases. And we won 2,220. If you do the maths, you will understand that we had 98.54 per cent success rate in court,” Bawa said.
He assured that with the inauguration, the board would draw from its wealth of experience and will be able to execute the daunting task before it.
