EFCC Canvasses Public Ownership Of Anti-Corruption Crusade

Mr Egbodofo Olumide, the Maiduguri Zonal Commander of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has reiterated the need to build public ownership of the anti-corruption fight, in order to make it more effective.
Olumide made the call on Saturday in Maiduguri while addressing a Town Hall meeting on anti-corruption organized by an NGO, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation.
The theme of the meeting, which brought together Journalists, CSOs, security agencies, religious bodies, traditional and religious leaders, was: “Community participation in the fight against corruption in Nigeria using local language.”
Olumide said that such a measure would make local communities and citizens see the fight as their responsibility, to design, implement and evaluate, as well as defend it when attacked by corrupt individuals and their collaborators.
“Respected local figures such as religious and community leaders are major stakeholders in the quest to combat the menace of corruption and the must lend their voices in the fight, as well as help influence their people to join the fight against corruption.
“Furthermore,  monitoring and evaluation of strategies put in place to combat corruption must be consistently done for easy adaptation as situations on ground change.
“Therefore,  you are encouraged to say something when you see any form of corruption being perpetrated, “ Olumide said.
In his address, the Team Lead of WAMAC, Mr Zubair Abdurra’uf, said a sensitization programme on corruption is to be held in all the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, as part of measures to promote good governance and accountability.
“The essence of the town hall meeting is to make an appraisal of the new concept of fighting corruption, through citizen participation in governance and enhancing community interface on investigative journalism.