Four months after the Ayo Salami-led panel received mandate from President Muhammadu Buhari to probe allegations of infractions against Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the panel has submitted its report.
The panel was inaugurated in July and given 45 days to carry out the assignment but the timeframe was extended after the panel requested more time.
Receiving the panel report at the State House, Abuja, on Friday, President Buhari vowed to pursue his anti-corruption agenda to successful conclusion, saying no one was too big to be tackled in the anti-graft war.
He said his desire was to make Nigeria a country that has no tolerance for corruption, but one where the menace is vigorously battled.
“We recognize that there are more grounds to cover in the war against corruption, and we are prepared to go out to possess those lands by cutting off any stream that nourishes the seed of corruption and supports its growth,” Buhari said.
“Let it be known that in the fight against corruption, no one is too big to tackle, as no individual is bigger than the Nigerian state!
“Corruption is present in all countries. Some governments treat it with levity. Some fight it all the time. I want Nigeria to be counted among those countries that do not tolerate but fight corruption,” he said.
Buhari said it was in response to the serious allegations against the EFCC that he set up a panel headed by Ayo Salami, a retired president of the Court of Appeal, via an instrument dated 3rd July 2020 pursuant to the Tribunals of Inquiry Act (Cap T21, LFN, 2004).
In order to protect Nigeria’s political and economic systems, and the continuous existence of the Nigerian State from the serious threat of corruption, the president called on all stakeholders, and indeed every Nigerian, to own the fight against corruption at their respective levels.
Buhari thanked members of the Commission for their dedication and commitment to the fight against corruption, pledging that the anti-graft war is one that must be fought without fear or favour.
“The sad reality confronting us as a people is that there is corruption almost everywhere; at many levels of government, and nearly every stratum of our society. Mindful of the threat that corruption poses to us as a nation, this administration has specifically focused on the fight against corruption,” Buhari said.
“As a government, and in furtherance of our anti-corruption programme, we have since inception engaged in many reforms in removing corruption, including but not limited to the enforcement of Treasury Single Account (TSA), strict implementation of the Bank Verification Number Policy and signing unto the Open Government Partnership. A lot of efforts have gone into building and development of our anti-corruption institutions.
“We have so far kept faith with our promise and shall remain committed until Nigeria triumphs over the evil of corruption, attains a prosperous economic status and surmounts her security challenges.
“However, the stark reality of widespread corruption becomes poignant when allegations of corruption touch on the leadership of an institution set up by law to coordinate and enforce all economic and financial crimes. It is an abomination that strikes at the root, and undermines the government’s anti-corruption programme,” he said.
In his remarks, Salami said the suspended acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, and 113 witnesses appeared and testified before the Commission, adding that 46 petitions and memoranda were presented by individuals and organisations with complaints against Magu, EFCC, or both.
He disclosed that the Commission also embarked on a nationwide physical verification of recovered forfeited assets, comprising real estates, automobiles, vessels and non-cash assets.
He commended Buhari for the initiative to dispose all forfeited assets “because of the poor condition of the assets we saw during our physical verification nationwide”.
Noting that the four chairmen of EFCC since inception were from the police, the retired justice also recommended that in appointing a new chairman consideration should be given to candidates from other law enforcement or security agencies and core staff of the EFCC as provided in the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004.
He expressed profound gratitude to the president for giving the Commission members a wonderful opportunity to serve the nation.
