By Louis Ibah
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has tasked President Bola Tinubu to be firm and resolute in fighting all manner of graft in the country, lamenting the billions of naira looted over the years from the national treasury by politically exposed Nigerians.
It stated this at a press conference jointly addressed by Balogun Hameed, co-convener, Frontliner Economy and Social Research; Ekindayo Shoyoyo, co-convener, Progressive Volunteers; Omotaje Saint, co-convener, Work Baon International Network and Obajare Enitan, co-convener, Grassroots Youth League.
The group called on President Tinubu to strengthen the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to effectively curb all manner of financial crimes in the country, adding that the impact of corruption has become “so dismal that an international research findings warns that by 2030, corruption will cost the country 37 per cent of its National Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a staggering $2,000 on each citizen.”
It noted that “many critical analysts are perturbed by the seemingly inability to tame the ‘corruption cancerous monster.’ If scientific, surgical scrutiny is not undertaken, the overwhelming allurement to dismiss all efforts at combating corruption is highly probable, which may engender pervasive despair and hopelessness in the polity.”
Balogun Hammed, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the Abdulrasheed Bawa-led EFCC, under former president Muhammad Buhari administration has initiated fundamental programmes aimed at ensuring effective delivery of the agency’s statutory mandates, urging continuity in the administration of the agency.
He frowned at the trend where highly politically exposed persons, in their attempt to resist investigations, often strive to bring managers of the EFCC to disrepute and tarnish the image of the anti-corruption institution.
It, therefore, urged the new administration of President Tinubu to ignore such group of persons, saying “as a matter of necessity, he should not only retain the Abdurasheed Bawa-led administration of the EFCC, but, also, strengthen it more vigorously with all the required tools and logistics, to enable it accomplish all the plans towards successful fight against grafts it has commenced.
“President Tinubu should ignore all the detractors and the rented crowd of detractors, who do not mean well for the country. All well-meaning Nigerians should also take time to study scientific approaches Bawa is introducing into the anti-graft war, with a view to understanding why the commission should be supported.”