The Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has charged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the country to always ensure neutrality and integrity in their advocacy and civil engagements.
Magu gave the charge on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 through the Port Harcourt’s Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, while receiving representatives of the Rivers State Anti- corruption Network (ACoNet), who paid him a Courtesy Visit.
According to him, the existing democratic dispensation in the country requires every pressure group to be apolitical in order to lend credibility to their cause. “We value your collaboration. It is the centrepiece of every anti- corruption fight. However, always ensure neutrality in your involvement. Be apolitical and pursue every cause with integrity and credibility. These are our core values as a Commission”, he said.
The Zonal Head, who spoke through his deputy, Mr. Aliyu Naibi, also identified capacity building for CSOs as an important means of self- improvement in their regular interface with the public. “Improve your capacity to get credible information on all issues by constantly training your members. This is the only means of building their resistance to undue influences”, he said.
He also charged them to join the EFCC in fighting the menace of internet fraudsters saying that “the yahoo boys are not relenting in their nefarious activities”.
In their presentations, representative of the Network, Mr. Isaac Green, said that his group came to discuss wide- ranging issues with the EFCC and they all bordered on building stronger synergy to combat the menace of corruption.
“The EFCC is the foremost anti- graft agency in Nigeria. We must work with your Commission more and more and this is the basis of our visit”, he said.
He decried the rising number of abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region and called for immediate attention of the EFCC to the issue. Other issues discussed pertained to efforts necessary to vacate a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from investigating the Rivers State Government and its officials and the need for more successful budget tracking in the region.
Green was accompanied on the Visit by seven other representatives of the Network.