252 
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has called on Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, across the country to be more actively involved in the fight against corruption.
This call was made on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by the Head, Public Affairs Directorate, Port Harcourt’s Zonal Command of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE Dele Oyewale, at a Workshop on ” Cost of Corruption in Benefits Transfer to Artisinal Miners in the Niger Delta Region”, organised by BudgIT.
According to him, CSOs have more roles to play in driving positive public response to the clarion for zero- tolerance for corruption by the EFCC. ” The broad- based reforms and radical onslaught against all forms of economic and financial crimes by the new leadership of the EFCC, require active involvement and commitment of CSOs to drive positive public response. The Civil Society needs to do more in mobilising Nigerians against the evils of corruption”, he said.
Oyewale stressed the need for greater penetration of grassroots by CSOs in their anti- corruption advocacy and insistence on good governance. ” Pentrating the grassroots to educate the masses on the ruinous consequences of corruption will bolster their resistance against corruption. CSOs also need to raise the bar in agitation for good governance to minimise abuses and pillage of public funds”, he said.
Explaining the rationale for the Workshop, BudgIT’s Senior Programme Officer, Engineer Adejoke Akinbode said that the Niger Delta has witnessed terrible pillage of its resources by various political office holders. ” The cost of corruption in the Niger Delta Region is alarming. Our interaction with artisinal miners in Cross River State showed that they are operating in adverse environments. Their desperation for survival is caused by the pillage of their resources by those who should have catered for them”, she said.
She called for more transparent and accountable governance in order to stem the tide of bad leadership in the region. The Workshop was attended by representatives of several CSOs, including ” We The People”, ” Accountability Lab Nigeria”, ” CODAF”, among others.
