Ime Akpan
The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has hit out at the state governors alleging that some of them fuel insecurity in their domains to raise their security vote.
Speaking on “Imperative of fighting corruption/terrorism financing in Nigeria,” at the induction programme for the returning and newly-elected state governors held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, Magu alleged that there is a link between corruption, banditry and terrorism.
Magu who said he had refrained from joining the debate on the constitutionality of security vote maintained that some of the governors “now covertly promote insecurity as justification to inflate their security vote.”
He said the insurgency in the north east, militancy in the Niger Delta and banditry are products of corruption.
He also said the country’s loss to corruption runs into trillions of naira in the last decade.
“We have also seen evidence of theft of public resources by some state governors – cashing in on the insecurity in their states.
“Insecurity has also offered the required oxygen for corruption to thrive as evident in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal involving top military commanders both serving and retired,” he said.
Besides, he said corruption cannot be divorced from the festering insurgency in the northeast.
“Mass poverty in the region due in part to corruption by the ruling elite, is largely to blame for the ease with which the Islamists are able to recruit fighters to sustain their aggression against the Nigerian state,” he said.
Furthermore, he said militancy in the Niger Delta and insurgency in the Northeast are by-products of corruption.
“As an investigator, I am shocked by the quantum of resources stolen from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by those who run the intervention agency. It is so bad that even a mere personal assistant to a former Managing Director was charged for stealing over N3 billion,” he added.
He, therefore, tasked in-coming and returning governors on the need to shun corruption.
“Whether we like it or not, corruption and terrorism have become the twin evils, undermining our collective efforts to make Nigeria a truly great country.”
He further stated that Nigeria’s failure to take full advantage of its natural resources could also be attributed to corruption as public office holders are in the habit of constantly pillaging public resources.
He said the country’s loss to corruption in the last decade is in trillions of naira.
However, he said sum funds had been recovered between 2017 and the 2018.
He disclosed that in 2017, the recoveries were N473.065 billion, $98 million, €7 million and £294,000 while 2018, the sum of N236.16 billion was recovered.
