President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians to unite in the fight against corruption, calling it a “cancer” that threatens the nation’s progress. Speaking at the opening of a workshop on economic and financial crimes, Tinubu emphasized that corruption is a pervasive issue that affects all levels of society.
“No Nigerian is immune from corruption,” the President said. “We must rise up combatively against it.” He stressed the importance of collaboration between the government, judiciary, and citizens to tackle this problem effectively.
Tinubu acknowledged the challenges faced by the judiciary in prosecuting corruption cases, including “frivolous applications and appeals, intimidation of judges, and judgments based on technicalities rather than facts.” He commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its efforts in combating corruption and pledged continued support for the agency.
The EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, echoed the President’s concerns, highlighting issues such as frequent adjournments, conflicting court orders, and unwarranted injunctions that hinder the commission’s investigations. Olukoyede noted that these challenges have prevented the EFCC from conducting investigations in ten states of the federation. Despite these obstacles, the EFCC remains committed to its mission of combating corruption. The commission has been actively engaging with stakeholders both domestically and internationally to address this pervasive issue.
The workshop, which brought together government officials, judicial representatives, and civil society organizations, focused on the importance of collaboration and information sharing in the fight against corruption.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
