Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has appealed to the federal government to strengthen the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other institutions to perform their statutory functions.
The coalition said it had been watching and observing with very keen interest how enemies of Nigerians are rigorously campaigning on social media to recruit young Nigerians into a planned protest against the EFFC, masquerading as human rights activists.
In a statement by the national coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the CNG condemned and rejected any move by words or actions aimed at scrapping the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He said, “We will not stand idly by while notorious ‘Yahoo boys’ and dubious Cryptocurrency merchants are disguising themselves as activists working very hard to undermine a vital anti-corruption agency like the EFCC and disturb national peace and stability,” the group warned.
The CNG said it is fully aware that those involved in financial crimes, fraudulent activities, and corruption cases are the masterminds behind the planned protest. It added that their intention is to discredit and dismantle the EFCC, which has been a thorn in their flesh. It said the planned protest is nothing but a testimony that corruption is fighting back, which all well-meaning Nigerians should stand and fight with all their might.
It said the EFCC has been a beacon of hope in the fight against corruption at this time when corruption has become the order of the day. Its achievements are glaring, and it called on the Federal Government to strengthen the commission‘s activities to enable it to prosecute high-profile cases, billions of naira/dollars in looted funds, and bring corrupt officials to book.
The group said Nigeria needs a robust anti-graft body now more than ever, given the escalating financial crimes, official corruption, and economic sabotage in the country that they cannot contemplate a Nigeria without EFCC, considering the intense battle against corruption the anti-graft body is currently facing.
It said the commission‘s existence reminds corrupt officials that they will be held accountable for their actions.
“Finally, while we call on all patriotic citizens, particularly the stakeholders, to support EFCC’s independence from executive interference and advocate for a first-line charge source of funding to enhance its fight against corruption, financial crimes, and economic sabotage, we equally urge the commission to discharge its duties with a high sense of patriotism and professionalism, devoid of political, ethnic or religious affiliation. The commission’s independence is crucial in ensuring that it remains a formidable force against corruption, without fear or favour,” the group added.
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