President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said the fight against corruption remains at the heart of the transformational agenda of his administration, vowing that his government would not harbour sacred cows in its fight to stamp out corruption and bribery in the national psyche.
Jonathan, who spoke at the eighth National Seminar on Economic Crime, organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja, vowed that his administration will not shield any corrupt person from investigation or prosecution by the anti-graft agencies in the country.
He promised that government will continue to support and encourage EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to confront the monster of corruption more decisively and charged them to spare no culprit regardless of his status or position.
He said: “We will give all the necessary support and encouragement to all the anti-ccorruption agencies to vigorously enforce the enabling anti-corruption laws. I urge these agencies to do their works fairly but firmly within the armbit of the law without regard to position or status. There shall be no sacred cows.
“This government will not protect any so-called sacred cows. The wheel of justice must run its full course in tackling anti-corruption cases.”
Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Mohammed Sambo, said his government was committed to fighting graft and save the nation the horrific effects of corruption.
Meanwile, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, has called for truce on the stand-off with EFCC, insisting that the fight against corruption cannot survive as long as both parties were at loggerheads.
Adoke further disclosed that the government was in the process of finalizing an inclusive National Strategy document put together by the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), which defines the roles of the state and non-state actors in the fight against corruption
He stated that, “I wish to assure that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is not at loggerheads with the EFCC or indeed any other anti-corruption agency. Corrupt persons will no doubt rejoice at such a prospect, but let me assure that the prospect of a house divided against itself will not come to pass while I occupy the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.”
He added, “We are partners in the prosecution of the war against corruption, money laundering and terrorism. In this regard, I will continue to give all anti-corruption agencies the needed support and cooperation to succeed in the discharge of their statutory mandate,
“I will however insist on exercising my oversight functions and provide guidance to all our prosecutorial agencies to ensure that their operations are conducted within the ambit of the rule of law.”
Adoke’s comments came before the keynote speaker, Liberian President, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s speech wherein she narrated her nation’s experiences with fighting corruption and other reforms that are taken place in the country since the return of peace in 2006.
The Minister further noted that government has taken seriously the issue of stolen asset recovery, borne out of the desire to ensure that corrupt persons are not only punished but are prevented from enjoying the proceeds of their crime.
According to him, “We intend to vigorously pursue stolen assets and the confiscation of other instrumentalities of crime within the country by strengthening our confiscatory and forfeiture laws. In this regard, we have commenced work on a comprehensive Assets Forfeiture legislation that will address the present inadequacies in our various laws. The Nigerian Proceeds of Crime Act and Bribery Act are also in the pipeline.
“What these legislative interventions portend for Nigeria is that we are actively responding to global initiatives to make corruption a high risk venture that is ultimately not rewarding,” Adoke added.
The Minister noted that only recently, the government negotiated the recovery and repatriation of the sum of 22.5 million pounds sterling from the Island of Jersey being the proceeds of money laundered from Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri has called for the establishment of a national integrity or baseline quotient to instill morality and fight against corruption.
Waziri noted that, “Many young ones are presently in doubt if we have any national values and if they exist who is respecting them. We seem to be a nation today with very low national patriotism. The youths have little or no sense of community service. A nation in this situation is in serious danger.”
She lamented that many young people “see big men whose riches are not traceable to any hard work or industry but to primitive acquisition of public wealth.
“We must therefore initiate and propagate programmes that engender hard work and honesty in our schools and our homes. Children need to learn these values from the cradle; if we don’t cultivate them to do so, they will learn corruption as an acceptable norm as it seems to be the case today,” she stated.
Waziri noted that the seminar was “coming at a time of great national economic and security challenges. These challenges are man-made and are largely traceable to corruption. A few individuals are bleeding the wealth of the nation and causing great pain to the larger society.”
According to her, “The corruption of a few has caused and is causing crushing and debilitating poverty and unemployment. This poverty has led to despair and anger which in many cases has ignited violent unrest with attendant unpleasant consequences including loss of innocent lives and property.”
She also remarked that entrenched corruption is responsible for the poor state of the nation’s infrastructure including power and roads, adding that, “Our aspiration as a great country stands threatened by corruption.
“This is not certainly the country of the dreams of those who fought for our independence. It is neither the country of our dream. It is equally not a country many of us wish to bequeath to the next generation,” she noted.
The EFCC boss further pointed out that in spite of the dismal state of affairs in the nation, “a few are working daily to make the situation even worse. A corruption-free and transparent Nigeria will put them out of business and they are determined to maintain the status quo.”
Waziri noted that several efforts have been made by the administration to stem the tide of corruption in the country including the recent passage and signing into law important pieces of legislation such as the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011.
She added, “These are two critical laws that compliment the EFCC Act, 2004, the ICPC Act 2000 and the Code of Conduct Act in the fight against corruption and terrorist fighting. I assure Mr. President that the EFCC will vigorously pursue these laws to realize their spirit and intent.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayJonathan, who spoke at the eighth National Seminar on Economic Crime, organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja, vowed that his administration will not shield any corrupt person from investigation or prosecution by the anti-graft agencies in the country.
He promised that government will continue to support and encourage EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to confront the monster of corruption more decisively and charged them to spare no culprit regardless of his status or position.
He said: “We will give all the necessary support and encouragement to all the anti-ccorruption agencies to vigorously enforce the enabling anti-corruption laws. I urge these agencies to do their works fairly but firmly within the armbit of the law without regard to position or status. There shall be no sacred cows.
“This government will not protect any so-called sacred cows. The wheel of justice must run its full course in tackling anti-corruption cases.”
Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Mohammed Sambo, said his government was committed to fighting graft and save the nation the horrific effects of corruption.
Meanwile, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, has called for truce on the stand-off with EFCC, insisting that the fight against corruption cannot survive as long as both parties were at loggerheads.
Adoke further disclosed that the government was in the process of finalizing an inclusive National Strategy document put together by the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), which defines the roles of the state and non-state actors in the fight against corruption
He stated that, “I wish to assure that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is not at loggerheads with the EFCC or indeed any other anti-corruption agency. Corrupt persons will no doubt rejoice at such a prospect, but let me assure that the prospect of a house divided against itself will not come to pass while I occupy the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.”
He added, “We are partners in the prosecution of the war against corruption, money laundering and terrorism. In this regard, I will continue to give all anti-corruption agencies the needed support and cooperation to succeed in the discharge of their statutory mandate,
“I will however insist on exercising my oversight functions and provide guidance to all our prosecutorial agencies to ensure that their operations are conducted within the ambit of the rule of law.”
Adoke’s comments came before the keynote speaker, Liberian President, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s speech wherein she narrated her nation’s experiences with fighting corruption and other reforms that are taken place in the country since the return of peace in 2006.
The Minister further noted that government has taken seriously the issue of stolen asset recovery, borne out of the desire to ensure that corrupt persons are not only punished but are prevented from enjoying the proceeds of their crime.
According to him, “We intend to vigorously pursue stolen assets and the confiscation of other instrumentalities of crime within the country by strengthening our confiscatory and forfeiture laws. In this regard, we have commenced work on a comprehensive Assets Forfeiture legislation that will address the present inadequacies in our various laws. The Nigerian Proceeds of Crime Act and Bribery Act are also in the pipeline.
“What these legislative interventions portend for Nigeria is that we are actively responding to global initiatives to make corruption a high risk venture that is ultimately not rewarding,” Adoke added.
The Minister noted that only recently, the government negotiated the recovery and repatriation of the sum of 22.5 million pounds sterling from the Island of Jersey being the proceeds of money laundered from Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri has called for the establishment of a national integrity or baseline quotient to instill morality and fight against corruption.
Waziri noted that, “Many young ones are presently in doubt if we have any national values and if they exist who is respecting them. We seem to be a nation today with very low national patriotism. The youths have little or no sense of community service. A nation in this situation is in serious danger.”
She lamented that many young people “see big men whose riches are not traceable to any hard work or industry but to primitive acquisition of public wealth.
“We must therefore initiate and propagate programmes that engender hard work and honesty in our schools and our homes. Children need to learn these values from the cradle; if we don’t cultivate them to do so, they will learn corruption as an acceptable norm as it seems to be the case today,” she stated.
Waziri noted that the seminar was “coming at a time of great national economic and security challenges. These challenges are man-made and are largely traceable to corruption. A few individuals are bleeding the wealth of the nation and causing great pain to the larger society.”
According to her, “The corruption of a few has caused and is causing crushing and debilitating poverty and unemployment. This poverty has led to despair and anger which in many cases has ignited violent unrest with attendant unpleasant consequences including loss of innocent lives and property.”
She also remarked that entrenched corruption is responsible for the poor state of the nation’s infrastructure including power and roads, adding that, “Our aspiration as a great country stands threatened by corruption.
“This is not certainly the country of the dreams of those who fought for our independence. It is neither the country of our dream. It is equally not a country many of us wish to bequeath to the next generation,” she noted.
The EFCC boss further pointed out that in spite of the dismal state of affairs in the nation, “a few are working daily to make the situation even worse. A corruption-free and transparent Nigeria will put them out of business and they are determined to maintain the status quo.”
Waziri noted that several efforts have been made by the administration to stem the tide of corruption in the country including the recent passage and signing into law important pieces of legislation such as the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011.
She added, “These are two critical laws that compliment the EFCC Act, 2004, the ICPC Act 2000 and the Code of Conduct Act in the fight against corruption and terrorist fighting. I assure Mr. President that the EFCC will vigorously pursue these laws to realize their spirit and intent.”
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