Ribadu, Sagay, Magu lament corruption in Nigeria, enlist media support to fight scourge

A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has declared that fighting corruption to a standstill is key to the country’s progress.

Ribadu, who was the pioneer chairman of the anti-corruption Commission, stated this on Saturday, in Abuja at the 12th public Ramadan symposium organised by the Abuja chapter of the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), with the theme, Anti-corruption: The Role of the Media as a Change Agent.

According to Ribadu, the menace of corruption has done so much damage to the country to the extent that it is the main reason no solution could be found to the problems facing the country today.

He said there was no other option than to wage a total war against it, submitting that the country’s survival was largely dependent on fighting corruption successfully.

“Years of mindless stealing and waste of public resources has brought a bad name to Nigeria and reversed the hope and aspirations we had as a country at the time of Independence.

“The haemorrhage of corruption has dragged this country to a brink in spite of efforts at different times, including what we are witnessing presently, to get the country away from the monster. Fighting corruption, therefore, is key to the survival and progress of our country.

Ribadu submitted that the role of journalists, particularly Muslim journalists, in the fight against corruption was vital.

He, however, declared that, “for the media to effectively fight corruption, there must be self-purgation. Media should purge itself of corruption and stand up firm on the path of integrity to discharge its function effectively.

Also speaking on the occasion, the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, urged journalists to abide with the ethics of journalism and should not allowed themselves to be used by the corrupt to fight back.

Represented by the Head, Media and Publicity of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, Magu stated that journalists have important roles to play in the fight against corruption in the country.

Also speaking Professor Itse Sagay, who is the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, has expressed the readiness of the body to cooperate with the media in the fight against corruption.

He advised the media to be more determined and focused in identifying and reporting corruption in the country.

He also urged journalists not to be deterred, scarred or frustrated in exposing corrupt practice.

Sagay appealed to media outfits to give their employees a decent salary with a view to make them more ethical and professional.

Meanwhile, the ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to expedite actions in strengthening the anti-corruption agencies by addressing concerns about lack of autonomy for the agencies.

Chair of the Board of Directors of the organisation, Professor Patricia Donli, made the call at a news conference on the state of the nation in Abuja, on Saturday.