(Press Release) Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde has called on women across the nation to embrace the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Lamorde made the call on Monday, August 11, 2014 at a one-day sensitisation workshop organised for women civil society and community based groups by EFCC in collaboration with African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, AFRICMIL, at Newton Park Hotel & Resorts, Abuja,
Lamorde who was represented by Dr. David Tukura, Director Planning, Policy and Statistics said that, the workshop was organised to encourage women to take ownership of the war against corruption. According to him, “the Commission is convinced that the power to change the destiny of our nation as one blighted by deep-rooted corruption, lies in the hands of every individual especially women”.
The EFCC boss described corruption as monster that undermines human development saying, “Corruption reduces public revenue, often resulting in lower levels of spending on education, healthcare and other social services that directly impact women more than other groups in the society”.
Also speaking, Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, an independent consultant and former Director, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution said women play an important role in reshaping the society. She stressed the need for women to be mainstreamed into the anti-economic and financial crimes sector to make them more effective. “The role of women in anti corruption war needs to be proactive and is not all about arrest, women have a big role in truncating crime, catching them young, teaching the young ones that a good name is better than gold and silver”, Oluyemi-Kusa said.
She also called for collaboration between the EFCC and National Orientation Agency in disseminating information on corruption and reorienting the society.
In his presentation, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership and Development, who spoke on “Advocacy as a tool for preventing economic and financial crimes,” called for paradigm shift in the manner corruption is tackled. While underlining the importance of advocacy as a preventive tool for anti-corruption war, he encouraged women to remain dogged in their determination to fight corruption.
Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, EFCC, Aisha Larai Musa in her presentation, said that the EFCC Act empowers it to investigate, prosecute and prevent economic and financial crimes. She encouraged women who have dormant bank accounts to endeavour to close them, to prevent them from being used for illicit transactions.
Osita Nwajah, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission while appreciating women as one having a vital role to play in the war against corruption, thanked the resource persons for lending their immense skills to plant this seed and watch it grow.
