Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, July 15, 2021 called for a review of the existing university curriculum to accommodate anti-corruption components as a way of building a corruption-free nation.
Bawa made the call, while featuring as a guest discussant on a programme tagged “Financial Autonomy for the Judiciary: Issues on Ethics, Values and Corruption” organized by Law Students of Baze University, Abuja.
The EFCC boss, who was represented by Johnson Eze of the Commission’s Directorate of Planning Research and Statistics, commended students for the initiative, describing it as a welcome development, which has always been the Commission’s watchword.
He urged the students to see themselves as “the gate keepers whom the public entrust their trust”, while stressing the need for them to act as change agents by telling their clients the truth.
“Unless we understand that as long as we keep contributing dark spots, the white board will surely become dark. You must see yourselves as change agents by telling your clients the truth”.
While not opposed to judicial independence, the EFCC Chair said situation in the country or lack of funding of the Judiciary should not be an excuse for judicial officers to engage in corruption.
“The situation in the country or lack of funding of the Judiciary should not be an excuse for corruption”, he warned.
He decried the extent at which the ills of corruption had affected the fortunes and developmental growth of the country and called for common consensus by stakeholders to defeating the menace.
Also speaking, another discussant on the programme who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jubrin S Okutekpa, lamented the impact of corruption in the profession . While urging members of the bar and bench to be of noble character and moral standard, the learned silk called on lawyers to rise up and fight against all forms of abnormality in the system.
The guest speaker at the event, Pro.f YemI Akinseye George, SAN, gave historic account of the stages and transformation of the Nigeria constitution and rule of law, and expressed concern over the rot in the profession.
The Dean, Faculty of law, Baze University, Dr. Ahmed Ali, thanked participants, noting that, “corruption has been the bane holding back the development of the country.
