EFCC, NEITI to fight corruption in extractive industry

29 Jul EFCC, NEITI to fight corruption in extractive industry

The chairman of the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa has reiterated the Commission’s resolve to sanitize and deal with fraud-related issues in the extractive industries.

He said yesterday 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,  that the EFCC is committed to sanitizing and dealing with fraud-related issues in the extractive industries.

He promised to work with NEITI in meeting 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 sanitized for the betterment of this country.

“The EFCC so much believe 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 and that is why we are keen to see that the extractive industries are sanitized for the betterment of this country,” he added.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji noted that with the MoU, NEITI, which has no enforcement powers, will 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.