EFCC Wants Public Collaboration in Fight against Corruption

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) has called on the public to partner with anti-corruption agencies to achieve success in the fight against corruption.

The Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, made the call during the regional conference organised by the Social Action Group, a non-governmental organisation in Port Harcourt.

Represented by Head Public Affairs Port Harcourt Zonal Office, Mr. Oyewole Dele, Bawa said the theme of the conference tagged, “Beyound Forensic Audit, Repositioning the NDDC for Inclusive and Effective Service Delivery” was apt.

He said Nigerians should begin to pay attention to what is going on in their environment to enable them identify their problems and give solutions to those problems.

“We should identify with the needs of the Niger Deltas, meet with the key stakeholders and be able to agree on what that will move the Niger Delta forward, and give proper accountability,”he said.

He urged Civil Society Organisations(CSOs)to get to the grassroots and identify with the communities to get reliable information.

He reiterated that EFCC is ready to carry out their duties once they get genuinely information from the public.

The National Organising Secretary, Host Communities of Nigerian Producing Oil and Gas areas, Dr Osasu Ekpen, explained that NDDC abandoned about 12,000 projects worth about N15 trillion in the Niger Delta region.

Ekpen urged NDDC to collaborate with host communities and stakeholders during the process of budgeting and execution of projects.

The Programme Director of Social Action, Mrs. Vivian Bellonwu, said the aim of the conference was to present an annual report of assessment of the services and actions of the NDDC.

Bellonwu said that the report was a product of monitoring other civic engagement, engaging the NDDC and its social contracts.

“We are also convening a citizens accountability forum where the state actors meet with the Non state actors to discuss issues that has to do with the Commission and its keeping mandate.

“We cannot over emphasis that NDDC is high obsessed and in secretive and this is the fundamental challenge the public is facing with the NDDC.

“We want the obesity of the NDDC to be brought down to enable the Commission fulfill its mandate,” she said.