President Buhari Commissions EFCC Headquarters

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Headquarters in Abuja.

Present at the commissioning ceremony were the EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, Speaker of the House of Reps, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, Secretary General of Commonwealth Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland and other top government functionaries.

In his speech President Buhari said that it was another milestone in the determined and collective fight against corruption. He said that throughout his journey in national service and since 2015, that he has made very conscious decision to pursue a vigorous fight against corruption in public life.

“Since 2015, we have made significant progress in the fight against corruption. Everyone now knows that corrupt officials will be held to account, no matter how long it takes. We have recovered and are still recovering trillions of naira that were stolen in the past few years by people without conscience. We are pursuing recoveries everywhere and are making sure that anyone who has been found culpable is made to answer for his or her crime under the law. It is my hope and expectation that the judiciary, which is a critical stakeholder and partner in the war against corruption, would continue to collaborate with the Executive to bring corrupt people to book. Permit me to also seize this opportunity to call on the Legislature which provides the legal framework for the anti-corruption war to add more verve to the determination of government to rid our nation of the brazen corruption witnessed in recent years, through reviewing archaic provisions in our laws and proactive passage of new legislation” President Buhari said.

Quoting an American author and philanthropist, Anthony Robbins, President Buhari said that, “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” He posited that if we are determined, no obstacle will be big enough to stand in our way. President Buhari said he was not seeing only a structure of concrete and metal in the edifice, but the resolve of Nigerians to fight corruption as the structures are not the whole story.

He said that we must CHANGE our ways of handling public trust as corruption not only kills governments but destroys societies. The President said corruption was the major reason why we are struggling with basic developmental issues that other comparable nations have long overcome.

He maintained that the war against corruption was not an easy one to fight because it affects so many different branches of our lives, and that is the reason we must fight and encourage Nigerians to CHANGE their attitudes and perspectives. The President said firther that the goal of his administration is to ensure the protection of public trust, and that the anti-corruption war is at its centre.

He used the opportunity to clear the air and said that his administration never intended to engage in political witch-hunts but determined within the laws to call people to account. President Buhari reiterated his commitment to work with the country’s foreign friends to stop the inflow of stolen funds from Nigeria into their countries and recovering what was there already.