By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has disclosed that in addition to 137 convictions between January and August 2017, the Commission has recovered the sum of N409,270,760,686 billion.
Making the disclosure on Tuesday at the 20th Anniversary of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria(FICAN) in Abuja, the EFCC Chairman noted that the recovered monies which are kept in the Recovery Fund Account domiciled with the CBN were illegally siphoned and undoubtedly would have gone a long way to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
Magu who was represented by the Head, Public Interface Unit, EFCC, Tony Orilade stressed that lack of strict adherence to ethics and values by the citizenry leads to deficit in morals which he said,is the antidote to corruption.
He further noted that FICAN have always been a very significant face, voice and fulcrum both in its reportorial engagements and national relevance as well as partners in the war against corruption.
According to him; “As citizens and professionals we all have the collective responsibility to ensure that we crush corruption in out society. We shall not relent in ensuring that we rigorously pursue our mandate of ridding Nigeria of all forms of economic and financial crimes.
While noting that corruption is fighting back through the media, he called on the media and FICAN members to use their pen to support the fight against corruption as EFCC does not have monopoly of knowledge or resources.
Earlier, the FICAN Chairman, Simeon Ogoegbulem who gave a brief history of FICAN Abuja, said that it has not been an easy 20 years but the struggle has been worthwhile.
Ogoegbulem however called for usual support from the organizations present to begin the construction of FICAN secretariat complex, to ensure that FICAN celebrates its 25th Anniversary in its own office.
