Enugu – Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has charged civil society organisations, CSOs, in the South East on proper collaboration with the Commission especially in spreading anti-corruption messages at the grassroots.
He gave this charge on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at the Enugu Zonal Command of the EFCC in a brief interactive session with CSOs, immediately after the commissioning of the new structure of the Command.
The Chairman, who spoke through the Secretary to the Commission, Muhammad Hammajoda said “the EFCC cannot achieve its mandate of ridding the country of economic and financial crimes alone and we need you the CSOs who are our major stakeholders to put in your energy, time and other resources to support us in this fight against corruption”.
Describing corruption as a“cancer”, the Chairman said every effort must be made to tackle it. “Please, we have to do this work together. The menace is just like cancer and we should fight it with all our strength. You are our eyes and ears in the public, you are our whistle blowers. Help us spread the anti-corruption message to the grassroots so that we can effectively fight corruption and win together”, he said.
Responding, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Enugu chapter, Chief C.N.N Nwagbara, commended Olukoyede for recognizing the roles of the CSOs in the fight against corruption and pledged total support of the Association to the Commission in achieving its mandate.
“We will be looking out for crimes, especially the ones that are within the jurisdiction of EFCC and probably make a report. I want to commend the Chairman and the Secretary to the Commission for calling for this meeting and I want to encourage you that there is a need for a repeat of this from time to time”, he said.
Another contributor, Mazi Ikechukwu Bismark Oji, MNSE, COREN, the Executive Director, Centre for the Advancement of Literacy & Leadership {CALL) and Convener, South East Good Governance Project (SEGGOP) drew the attention of the Chairman to difficulties being faced in getting SCUML certificates. He equally commended the commission for the convivial rapport existing between her and civil society organizations in the region, urging that same should continue.
Olukoyede explained that if information required by SCUML are rightly placed in the digital application procedures, no difficulty or delay would be suffered by any applicant.
“Please, come to the office if you have any challenge in applying for it. That’s why we have SCUML offices across the Commands. You will be properly guided”, he said.
On the issue of public education on the commission’s activities, he explained that the EFCC organized weekly webinars for that purpose.
Enugu Zonal Commander, ACE I Aliyu Nuhu Naibi , further explained that if procedures for filling the form are properly followed, there will be no difficulty of any form. “Here in our Command, we have over four hundred SCUML certificates uncollected. We produce certificates every month. The issue is, if you are filling the form, make sure that you follow the procedures”, he said.
Also, the EFCC Public Relations Officer, Mr Wilson Uwajaren explained that the commission was interested in crime prevention and was taking the campaign to the grassroots through the formation of Integrity Clubs in Secondary Schools and tertiary institutions.
