ECONOMIC CRIMES COMMISSION SEEKS PUBLIC SUPPORT IN FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
The Commission boss said, corruptions remain the most potent threat to human existence, and Nigerian must stand to be counted in the fight against corruption because it poses an existential threat to our survival as individuals and as a nation.
The anti-graft Zonal Head noted that corruption is the root of every tragedy that ever befell mankind, adding that it has also been identified as the ultimate potential impediment to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals proposed for full actualisation by the year 2030.
Penpushing further reports that Ebelo maintained that corruption is not just a national event but also a global phenomenon and the essence of his agency is to enlist all stakeholders, state and non-state, to collectively and individually get involved in the fight against corruption for the good and progress of mankind.
“This year’s edition is themed: Zero Tolerance To Corruption, apart from other activities, the EFCC has decided to mark this important event with a road walk across all its zonal offices and the Abuja head office. This is necessary to create more awareness among the citizens and let them understand why it is important to lend their voice and be actively involved in the anti-corruption campaign.”
“As you all know, much more than before, the EFCC has upped the ante of the anti-corruption campaign in our country with verifiable evidence to prove that our efforts are yielding positive result,”,Ebelo emphasised
Penpushing also reports that while reeling out the achievements of the zone, Ebelo noted that the Ibadan zone, in the last one year has witnessed a beehive of activities with unprecedented successes as the zone contributes its modest quota to the global fight against corruption.
“In the last one year, particularly from January 2019 till date, the zone received 691 petitions. 213 of these were returned unapproved as issues raised therein did not fall under the purview of our mandate’, he said.
‘In the course of investigations, the zone arrested 878 persons. Out of the 268 prosecuted, 171 have been convicted. Our investigations also led to temporary fixing of 1,044 bank accounts, while 56 automobiles and 14 houses were impounded. We equally have several laptops android phones and many other electronic devices confiscated in compliance with court orders.”
“In the period under review, the zone also recovered on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria huge sums of money in both local and foreign currencies. These include a total of N211, 134,927.26 (Two Hundred and Eleven Million, One Hundred and Thirty-Four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira, and Twenty Six Kobo).
‘For the foreign currencies, we had $136,289 (One Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine United States Dollars), €2000 (Two Thousand Euros) and £765 (Seven Hundred and Sixty-Five British Pounds).”
Penpushing reports that, he however called on all Nigerians to personalise the fight against the monster of corruption if people truly desire a corruption-free Nigeria, because everybody must all get involved by showing doggedness and commitment.
