People Giving Nigeria Bad Name not Nigerians, Says Interior Minister

*Says FG set to launch Document Authentication System

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday submitted that “majority of the people giving Nigeria a bad name are not Nigerians, but citizens of other countries, who happen to possess the country’s international passport.

Tunji-Ojo, declared that “Nigerians are not fantastically corrupt” but fantastically brilliant, intelligent and hardworking people, who are unfortunately mistreated due to the misconception held about them and their country.

The minister who spoke in Abuja, at the opening of a three day national training on combating terrorism financing, however disclosed that as part of efforts at correcting the anomaly, the country is set to launch what he called the Integrity and Document Authentication System.

The training which is being organized by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa ( GIABA) has as theme: Developing Effective Tools and Strategies to Combat Terrorism Financing.

Speaking at the occasion, the minister argued that if Nigeria must record any meaningful achievements in the fight against crimes and criminalities there must be a change of strategy, adding that the country must have a good understanding of individual and corporate entity management.

According to him, a situation where an individual would have different names with different bank accounts should no longer be tolerated in the country.

“identity fraud must be null, let’s make it impossible for people to have different names with different bank accounts “ he said, “we must be able to understand corporate entities “ by knowing what each businesses actually does in the country.

He explained that the integrity and document authentication system, is a harmonized data base system that will enable authorities verify and authenticate any document issued in Nigeria, adding that, “it takes four seconds to authentic your passport”.

Meanwhile, the minister charged participants to up their games by understanding the mindset and motivation of criminal so as to be ahead of them in their planning and operation.

While pointing out that ideology is what drives terrorism in the country, he advocated the use of kinetic and non-kinetic solutions in eradicating the menace.

Earlier, GIABA’s Director-General, Mr Edwin Harris disclosed that Nigeria’s performance was not encouraging in the last corruption evaluation.

The DG who was represented by the Director of Evaluation and Compliance (GIABA), Dr Geoffrey Asima, observed that fund was the life wire of all terror activities because it was needed to carryout all terrorism activities hence the need to cut the financial channels.

He explained that confiscation and freezing of terrorist assets was also an important element of fighting terrorism.

The Director Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit NFIU Hajiya Hafsat Bakari explained that the training would provide great opportunities for investigators and analysts to come to terms with new trends in investigations.

She said the NFIU would soon inaugurate a training center which would serve as a center of excellence for Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing AML CFT.