TO give the nation’s fight against corruption more credibility, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Ibrahim Magu, has pledged to be firm, fair and effective in tackling cases brought to his organisation.
He also stressed that he would be guided by fear of God, national interest and the rule of law.
Magu, who made the declaration during an interaction with media owners yesterday, at Ibis Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, pleaded with the media to give him some time to look into some pending high-profile cases stuck with the commission, pointing out that part of his immediate challenges was how to erase the negative public perceptions about EFCC.
He recalled that though at inception the commission took off with a little above 30 workers and no funding, EFCC was able to make a mark through the determination and doggedness of the officers .
He added that public consciousness about corruption then helped to check impunity and criminality.
While pledging to work collaboratively with the media in the onerous task of stamping out corruption and economic crimes, the EFCC boss explained that much as he appreciated the crucial supportive roles of the media, he did not reckon with fabrications and sensational stories.
“I decided to hold this meeting with you because I believe we all have a role to play in this task of fighting corruption. You are free to criticise me both constructively and otherwise but I do not like outright fabrications that are calculated to make the commission look bad,” he stated.
Magu assured the media chiefs that he would run an open administration so as not to keep them in the dark about what the EFCC was doing stressing, “I am really determined to carry you along; we have a duty to save this country.”
Against the background of a plethora of issues, comments and suggestions raised by the media owners, the acting EFCC chairman said he would do his best and strive not to make deliberate mistakes, pointing out that being human he was not immune to mistakes.
Most of the issues of concern to the print and electronic operators include the prolonged and shoddy prosecution of high-profile cases, plea bargaining, corruption among operatives and sparse information dissemination by the commission as well as the case of diversion of over N1trillion of confiscated assets by the former chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde.
