The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has charged to staff to have discipline, professionalism and dedication to duty as their watchword in order to take the anti-graft war to the next level.
Bawa, while giving the charge yesterday, April 8, during his visit to the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission, reminded them that they were being looked up to, by Nigerians and the international community at large, to succeed in the fight against corruption.
“As the saying goes, the eagle is now in the hands of the EFCC but the mission and the vision of the Commission remain the same. Therefore, I urge you to be committed to your job. Always do what is right and guard against wrongdoing”, the EFCC Chair said.
Describing his visit to the zone as a homecoming of sorts, having previously served as Head of the zone in his illustrious career, the anti-corruption czar thanked staff of the zone for their support and prayers since he emerged as Executive Chairman.
He urged the staff to join him in moving the EFCC to the next level. “The Ibadan zonal office is one of the offices I love. I hope you will maintain it and be on top of your game. If the story of my life is not an inspiration to you as officers, nothing will. I want you to join me to steer the ship to another level”, he said.
The EFCC boss further expressed confidence that the future of the Commission is great. He said despite its young age, EFCC is rated highly among its peers in the business of law enforcement across the globe.
He assured that officers of the Commission will be exposed to new training opportunities to keep them abreast of changing trends in the fight against corruption.
Bawa was also at the Ilorin Zonal Office on Wednesday, April 7, where he called on staff of the Commission to rededicate themselves to the task of ridding the country of corruption through proactive and intelligence-driven investigation with strict adherence to the rule of law.
According to him, “We are going to digitalize our processes, and we have created a new Directorate of Intelligence to enable us gather intelligence so that we will be proactive in our fight against economic and financial crimes; and by so doing, we will also provide the government with necessary quality advice that will lead to good governance”.
He emphasized that the Commission under his watch would spare no effort in redeeming the country’s battered image and set it back on the path of sustainable growth and development.
“I’m here to remind you that we have an enormous task ahead of us, which is to fight economic and financial crimes in the country. It is a job you and I have signed to do. We have a duty to rid this country of corruption. We’ll certainly take the fight to the next level. Let me tell you, the Government has so much confidence in us and the world at large is watching us. We cannot afford to let them down.
“Everybody is important in this cause; from the chairman to the most junior officer. We need to do our work with utmost integrity, honesty, courage and professionalism, which are our core values. What this means is that, you have to be above board, and of course be incorruptible”, Bawa said.
The anti-graft czar also expressed his desire to strengthen the Commission’s synergy with other law enforcement organizations, both nationally and internationally with a view to ensure that there is no hiding place for criminals in the society. He noted that the job of fighting economic and financial crimes requires that everybody be on board, and speak with one voice against the menace.
Earlier, Zonal Head of the Commission’s Ilorin office, Usman Muktar, appreciated the Chairman for his visit and assured him of the commitment of the staff of the zone towards upholding the ideals of the Commission.
