We’ll check corruption in extractive industry, EFCC, NEITI promise, sign MoU

The Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, on Wednesday harped on the Commission’s resolve to sanitise and deal with fraud-related issues in the extractive industries.

Bawa stressed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),between the EFCC and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), led by its Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, at the EFCC’s headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.

According to EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, Bawa promised to use the Commission’s extractive industry fraud section to deal with issues relating to such industries, in order to sanitise the sector.

The EFCC boss said: “I want to assure you that all the issues that your report will raise, and all the issues that we are also seeing on our own relating to extractive industries in oil and gas, as well as in solid mineral, we will deal head-on with them.”

He promised to work with NEITI in meeting with the expectation of both parties for the betterment of the country.

“The Memorandum of Understanding is very clear regarding your expectation and our expectation, and I want to assure you in addition to other issues of training and all of that, we will do our best and ensure that the industry is sanitised for the betterment of this country.

“The EFCC so much believes that if we can block the leakages, this country will not need to borrow a single cent from any other country to come and finance our budget, and that is why we are interested in this MoU; that is why we are keen to see that the extractive industries are sanitized for the betterment of this country,” he stated further.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji, noted that with the MoU, NEITI, which has no enforcement powers, would be able to leverage on the powers of the EFCC, to “bark and bite.”

“We are here because the EFCC and NEITI are in this together, to rescue our country from indiscipline, malfeasance, mismanagement of public resources; to work together with the EFCC to seek avenues to channel our peoples mind to living legitimate lives and adding content and public value to whatever assignment they have been given for the benefit of our citizens,” he said.

The NEITI boss also promised to work with the EFCC to strengthen their position and rescue the extractive industries resources.

“We are very grateful that you have offered us the support, and we will relate with mutual respect as two sister agencies; and timely exchange of information and data will be very useful in this relationship.

“As an agency, we believe in the work the EFCC is doing and we are very proud of the courage and excellence that this institution has exhibited in the face of all kinds of challenges. We will continue to encourage men and women of goodwill, fellow Nigerians that are working here, that you are on the right track and you have an ally in NEITI,” Dr Orji added.

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