The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has recovered assets worth over ₦500 billion and secured more than 700 convictions in the past two years, President Bola Tinubu said yesterday.
The President, who was represented by his vice, Kashim Shettima, disclosed this while declaring open the 7th edition of a three-day capacity-building workshop for judges and justices, organised by the EFCC, in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.
He said the significant progress recorded by the EFCC was due to his administration’s non-interference in the agency’s operations and its commitment to transparency and accountability in governance.
Tinubu said: “As an administration, we have prioritised public accountability by strengthening the anti-corruption agencies and giving them the needed independence to execute their statutory mandates.
“This enabling environment is evident in the impact that has been made in the last two years. The EFCC for example, has recorded over 7,000 convictions in the past two years of the present administration and recovered assets in excess of N500 billion.”
He explained that the recovered proceeds of corruption were being channelled into developmental projects and social investment programmes across various sectors of the economy.
The President said: “Recovered proceeds of crime by the agency are being brought back into the economy to fund critical social investment programmes, including the students’ loan and consumer credit schemes.”
According to him, the administration is also supporting the judiciary to enhance the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers, as part of wider reforms to strengthen the rule of law.
Reiterating the government’s resolve to uphold justice, the President said no political actor or public official was above the law under the current administration.
He said: “There is no person or group who can accuse this administration of shielding political actors on account of their affiliation to this government or the political party.
“We have allowed both the judiciary and the anti-corruption agencies to exercise their constitutional and statutory powers to dispense justice and restore sanity.”
Tinubu urged judges and justices to carry out their duties with patriotism and integrity, warning that corruption spared no section of society.
He said: “Courts and judges are strong pillars of the anti-corruption process, except that the society has full confidence that those who pillage our resources will be subjected to the rule of law and brought to justice through a pure and transparent process of adjudication, our collective commitment to fighting corruption will continue to face scepticism.
“Corruption is no respecter of persons. Your bonded position on the bench does not insulate you from its consequences. There are no special roads, hospitals, or communities for judges. We all face the same risks that stem from decades of willful theft and wastage of the nation’s resources.”
President Tinubu called for collective action among the executive, legislature and judiciary to strengthen the anti-corruption fight, insisting that Nigeria’s progress depended on a just and transparent system.
“A Nigeria free of corruption is possible if we all commit to doing what is right in our respective spheres of influence, and ensure that those who deviate from the norm are not allowed to go scot-free.
“A robust judicial system is central to the success of anti-corruption efforts, and I count on our judges to help us achieve this noble aspiration,” he declared.
Text except headline courtesy of Vanguard
