In a significant move to fortify Nigeria’s battle against corruption, the Chairman of ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, spearheaded a crucial meeting with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The meeting, held at the EFCC headquarters on Tuesday, brought together the leadership and management teams of both anti-graft agencies to deepen mutual cooperation and synchronize efforts for a more impactful anti-corruption drive in the country, along with exploring other potential areas of collaboration.
Chairman of ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasized the importance of the existing relationship between the two agencies and expressed ICPC’s commitment to providing necessary support for eradicating corruption in Nigeria. He highlighted the need for a strong partnership to avoid duplicating responsibilities, wasting resources, and time.
“It is important for us to work together, and we cannot do this without a good relationship,” said Dr. Aliyu. “I’ll be reaching out to my brother and Chairman of EFCC on issues I think we can partner because there’s no need for us to be duplicating responsibilities, wasting resources and time.”
In response, EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, echoed the sentiment of collaboration and stated that the meeting provided an opportunity to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies. He emphasized the shared mandates and the necessity of working together, especially considering the vast population of about 250 million people in Nigeria.
“We have areas of similar mandates and with the population of about 250 million people, there’s so much in our hands, and I can tell you that the enormity of the work demands that we work together,” said Mr. Olukoyede.
The EFCC Chairman also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political will to combat corruption, stating that recent events demonstrated the President’s commitment to the fight against corruption. He emphasized that no one is too big to be investigated in the country, and anti-corruption agencies will ensure that individuals not playing by the rules are thoroughly investigated.
With the firm leadership of Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, ICPC remains resolute in its dedication to fighting corruption through enhanced inter-agency collaboration. Both agencies pledged to meet regularly to review and reinforce their joint efforts in the ongoing struggle against corruption in Nigeria.