It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this important dialogue which is designed to chart a path for the successful prosecution of the war against corruption. My presence here this morning underscores the importance which I attach to this engagement.
Since I assumed office three months ago, I have used every opportunity available to send the message that this fight is not for the EFCC alone. Other Stakeholders must play crucial roles because the forces that we are trying to defeat are formidable and would spare no expense to ensure that we fail.
In my estimation, one of the most important stakeholders in this crusade are the civil society organizations, because you are the conscience of the people.
You mirror the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians and you are also catalysts in the social mobilization process. We need your strength to energize the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
As I look across this room, I am encouraged by the faces that I see. I know most of you personally and all of you by reputation.
Your individual pedigree is not in doubt; many of you have in time past suffered personal pains and deprivation in the battle for a better Nigeria. Now that the opportunity is here to achieve our dream Nigeria, we cannot afford to be complacent because the task at hand is enormous.
We must be bothered that our nation has been raped by politicians who treated the treasury as their personal accounts; a nation where monies meant for the prosecution of the war against insurgency are shared by top military officers and their civilian accomplices; a country where roads, hospitals and other infrastructure are in appalling state of decay because the money that should have been used to improve them have been diverted into private pockets, is not the nation of our dream.
We have reached a stage where we have to ask the crucial question, can we continue like this? The answer is NO!
Thankfully, we have elected a government that is sold on the fight against corruption. The onus is on us to rally round Muhammadu Buhari administration to ensure that we win the war against corruption in Nigeria.
What is urgent now is to focus our attention on those areas which I consider as constituting stumbling blocks to successful prosecution of the war.
In the past few days, I have spoken out openly on the conduct of lawyers. While many lawyers have assisted the cause of the EFCC, there are a number of others that are working against efforts to tackle the Nigerian corruption problem. Many, including very senior lawyers have continued to lend their skills and expertise to crooks to steal our money and thereafter, help them to launder same. It is time for us to say ‘enough is enough’.
By the same token these times call for vigilance by all in following cases of corruption under prosecution to ensure that we put everyone on their toes. This would ensure not only the speedy determination of such matters, but that there is fairness and equity in the process and outcomes.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am not here to bore you will long speeches. I only wanted to set the tone for our discussions.
Once again, I welcome you all.
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