The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has assured credible civil society organisations, CSOs, of continued partnership in the task of combating economic and financial crimes.
This assurance was given in Port Harcourt, Rivers State during the week by the Port Harcourt’s Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa while addressing officials of Community Anti- Graft Initiative, who paid him a Courtesy Visit.
According to him, the EFCC would always extend a hand of fellowship to any credible civil society organisations to tackle the menace of corruption ” because the challenge of fighting economic and financial crimes are for every well- meaning Nigerian and organisation to tackle”.
“EFCC is a public institution. Our doors are open. Our mandate is to investigate, prosecute and prevent cases of economic and financial crimes. We welcome every input from individuals and groups on the work that we do”, he said.
Uche Odungweru, President of Community Anti- Graft Initiative, decried corrupt practices at the grassroots in Rivers State, stressing that cases of restiveness and conflicts in the State can be linked to corrupt individuals at the grassroots.
“Most of the conflicts in Rivers State are due to corrupt practices. When projects are sited by multinationals, our people resort to extortion of contractors. This extortion has led to abandoned projects here and there. They site projects in our communities and people gather to ask for payments. They called it settlement. They called it marching ground but we call it extortion. Corruption is also causing us unemployment. When agencies give certain job quotas to the communities, community leaders normally sell them out to strangers who have money to give them and this is causing communal unrest”, he said.
Bawa expressed appreciation to the group for its visit but cautioned that it should always ensure that issues brought before the EFCC are credible. He charged the group to work on enlightenment of people at the grassroots on the evils of corrupt practices and mobilise them to reject such practices.
Packaged by Emmanuel Okafor
