Glory Ebomah
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa on Tuesday presented Nigeria’s statement at the ongoing first ministerial meeting of Anti-corruption and Law Enforcement Authorities at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC.
The move, it was learnt, is to endorse the Makkah Al- Mukarramah Convention, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, calling on Member States to prioritize intra-OIC cooperation based on common values, culture and joint action.
According to him, “Corruption has no borders. As a national and transnational crime, it affects all countries who must also strengthen their collaboration to counter its negative effects such as weakening of state institutions and governance, deepening poverty, undermining the economy, peace and sustainable development”.
Bawa, who spoke on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, told the gathering that the Nigerian administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came to power based on a commitment to fighting corruption.
“The current Government in Nigeria, since assuming office, mounted a vigorous anti-corruption campaign which today, I am proud to say, has achieved significant successes, through the recovery and return of stolen assets to our country as well as jailing and prosecuting many officials accused of corruption.
“Through our anti-corruption drive, which also entails the use of ethical and moral tools, Nigeria has introduced a number of policies and legal measures including the whistle-blower policy which has encouraged patriotic citizens to provide valuable information on suspected cases of corruption and corrupt practices. This policy contributed to the arrest, prosecution and recovery of stolen public funds”, he said.
The EFCC boss said the government was committed to adopting a holistic anti-corruption approach that includes prevention and enforcement by empowering all relevant agencies, such as the EFCC, ICPC, the Police, legislature, the judiciary, the media as well as the civil society.
In addition, he said Nigeria was committed to sustaining high-level diplomacy and has developed international and partnerships in support of our anti-corruption enterprise. “We are ready to share our experiences with the OIC Member States in this regard”, he further stated.
He commended the initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to elaborate the draft Convention seeking to provide the legal framework for institutionalized cooperation between the OIC Member States through their Anti-corruption agencies, describing it as “apt and timely”.
Finally, Bawa thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting the conference and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Ambassador Hissein Brahim Taha, for his leadership and efforts to promote intra-OIC- cooperation in all domains.
A statement signed by Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the two-day meeting which began on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, would end on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.