 |
| Ibrahim Magu |
The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has called on Nigerians to guard jealously their family names and avoid any act that would soil them.
Magu gave the charge in Ibadan on Thursday, May 23, while speaking at a public education/citizen enlightenment program organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Represented by the Zonal Head of the Commissionโs Ibadan zonal office, Friday Ebelo, the anti-corruption czar explained that if every individual values the name bequeathed to them and makes efforts to protect them for the next generations, the tendency to engage in corrupt practices will drastically reduce.
โIf our fathers held the family names so important and bequeathed them to us, we have every responsibility to protect the name.
โWe must ensure that we donโt tarnish the name for our children to carry along,โ he said.
The EFCC chairman also urged Nigerians to shun the temptation to cut corners in order to make quick money, but rather embrace diligence, saying โhard work paysโ.
He called for deliberate efforts at bringing back the values of the โgood old daysโ in relationship and public engagements to effectively tackle the many societal problems facing the country.
Themed โValue Re-Orientation and the Fight Against Corruptionโ, the event was organised to enlighten community stakeholders and the grassroots people on critical issues in fight against corruption as well as its effects on the society at large.
While welcoming the guests, the Oyo State director of NOA, Dolapo Dosunmu, described corruption as a product of mindset, adding that re-orientation will make an effective tool to wage and win the war against it.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of PACAC, Prof Sadiq Isah Radda, called for involvement of every citizen in the fight against corruption.
He said the Federal Governmentโs proposal to disburse Local Government allocations directly to their respective individual accounts will require more vigilance from the people.
โIf things go the way the government wants it, by June, Local Governments should be getting their money directly to their accounts. This means that hundreds of billions of naira will be going to local government directly.
โTherefore, we cannot allow the fight against corruption to be taking place at the federal government level alone. The Vice President and the ministers can not come to the states to fight corruption,โ he said.
The event was chaired by Prof. Femi Odekunle, with lead papers delivered by Prof. Sabitu Olagoke and retired Arch-Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu.
