Magu seeks public ownership of anti-corruption

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu on Thursday called for public ownership of the fight against corruption.

Magu disclosed this in Abuja at a joint media briefing with Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Mr Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports Development.

He said the briefing was to showcase a new perspective in the prevention mandate of the commission as set out in section (6) of the EFCC establishment Act.

According to him, the new perspective is to awaken and mobilise youths in the country towards exposing, confronting and tackling the scourge of corruption.

He said that youths constituted the bulk of Nigeria’s population and had remained the realities and strength of the future, and they are crucial to the success of the anti-corruption crusade.

“In this regard, the EFCC in collaboration with the ministry and the NYSC is holding a maiden “Nigeria Youths Walk against Corruption.

“The walk, slated for Friday, will hold concurrently in the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The objectives of the walk are multifarious, but most important is to sensitise and mobilise youths to reject the evils of corrupt practices.

“To encourage youths to be anti-corruption advocates and ambassadors; enlist them to partner with the EFCC by providing information and actionable intelligence on fraudsters,’’ the EFCC boss said.

He said the walk was also to organise youths as change agents and pace-setters in integrity and galvanise their energy and resourcefulness to prevent corruption in the country.

Magu said the NYSC would develop new modalities of youth engagements in the anti-corruption fight and that corps members in all states would participate in the walk.

“Other interest groups, market women, civil society organisations and labour unions will join in the walk. I want to use this forum to appeal to Nigerians to come out enmasse and identify with the anti corruption walk,” he added.