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The acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu has said that the involvement of Commission in the 2019 general elections has opened a positive chapter in the annals of electioneering in the country.
Magu made the observation through the Zonal Head of the Commission in the South-East, Usman Imam, in an address to officers of the Commission while rounding off activities of the Commission in the zone in both the presidential and governorship elections.
He said: “We cannot pretend we are fighting corruption without looking critically at the electoral process and make sure they are not only transparent, but that people vote their conscience, and not out of pecuniary or material inducement.
“Our work has certainly sent messages to Nigerians that the era of vote selling and buying has passed and that they must take responsibilities in choosing who leads them at various levels.”
While commending the staff for their dedication and sacrifices during the period, Magu said they should see it as a duty to the nation and for those yet unborn whose welfare are dependent on the sacrifices made by those around today.
“Your sleepless nights and travels during these past days are not in vain. They are sacrifices we have to make to ensure a better country where money and other materials will not play any role in who rules us, so that the future generations will be better than the previous ones,” he added.
The Commission’s involvements in the elections came on the heels of a directive from the Acting Chairman that all staff of the Commission should actively get involved in the presidential and governorship elections on Saturday, February 23 and March 9, 2019 respectively across the country.
Subsequently, officers of the zone were deployed to their various locations within the airport, Anambra and Ebonyi states with updates and situation reports being monitored via the Whatsapp group linked to the EFCC Situation Room created for the purpose of the 2019 elections.
It would be recalled that the Zonal Head played host to compliance officers of banks and operators of bureaux de change across the zone where he tasked them on the need to resist being used for money laundering during election period.
Imam alongside the Head, Public Affairs, Chris Oluka, visited three Radio Stations: Urban Radio 94.5 FM and Coal City 92.9 FM in Enugu before and during the election for sensitization programme on Vote-buying where listeners were told to report any incidents of such to EFCC through dedicated hotlines.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
March 14, 2019
