Nigeria’s Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Ibrahim Mustapha Magu has emerged the Chairman of Anti Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa.
Recall that the Abubakar Bukola Saraki-led Senate of his home country Nigeria had three times turned down the President Muhammadu Buhari’s repeated request to confirm this now leading continental anti-graft czar as substantive Chairman of the EFCC to no avail for issues suspected to be personal interests being protected among the Senators.
Although the executive attempts to Confirm Magu fails at the senate, notwithstanding, the Presidency has continued to hold on its choice of Magu and refuse to replace him.
The Commonwealth Africa sees what the Nigerian Senate fails to see in Magu at their 8th Annual General Meeting, Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACA), which, to many, signifies the success and loud achievement Magu has build to himself and the agency he heads in acting capacity in almost three years he served under the Muhammadu Buhari Administration.
Magu’s emergence came Saturday at the end of ACA’s 8th Regional Conference in Abuja, with a resolve to strengthen cooperation and collaboration among member countries for the purpose of facilitating assets recovery and return.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its 5-day conference with the theme ‘Partnering Towards Assets Recovery and Return’.
The ACA, among other things, expressed concern “about the heavy losses that Africa suffers as a result of illegal transfers of proceeds of corruption and crime out of Africa” and stressed the need for synergy among member countries to combat illicit financial flows.
It called on “African countries to strengthen cooperation and partnership in the tracing, recovery and return of assets in accordance with Article 54 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and Article 16 of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption”.
While recognising the importance of whistle-blowing in the fight against corruption, asset recovery and return; the meeting urged African countries to enact strong whistle-blowing legislation and provide protection to whistleblowers.
The meeting also appealed to judicial and prosecuting authorities to cooperate, support and fast track prosecution of corruption cases in their jurisdictions.
It encouraged Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa to explore innovative ways of delivering public education, awareness and sensitisation messages to the general public about tracing and recovering of assets.
The conference appreciated “the invaluable support and warm hospitality” provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the EFCC, ICPC and the people of Nigeria, the honour of the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the opening of the Conference.
While expressing appreciation to the Commonwealth Secretariat for co-sponsoring the conference, it acknowledged the participation and commitment of the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Baroness Patricia Scotland; former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar; Thambo Mbeki, former President of South Africa and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, at the forum.
About 19 countries including Nigeria participated in the regional conference, with the next one to be hosted in 2019 by Uganda in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat.
