An anti-corruption network,
Social Action Akwa Ibom State Anti-Corruption Network (Aconet) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and it’s sister agency the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission ICPC to collaborate in their fight against corruption.
The group added that it would be meaningful if the two agencies celebrate their subsequent world anti-corruption day together.
The Akwa Ibom State coordinator of ACONET, Ann Udonto made the proposal Thursday when members of the group paid courtesy visits on the ICPC and EFCC offices in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.
Udonto said the need for the call arose due to their common shared interest which is, to stamp out corruption in the society.
She explained that the group has earlier embarked on project tracking in about thirteen local governments in the state and discovered some abandoned projects and other sharp practices in the execution of some other, but lacked the constitutional and legal backings to follow up and bring justice to the communities.
Udonte further explained that with partnership with the ICPC, EFCC the later will continue from where their(ACONET) power stops since the antigraft agency is backed by law to investigate corruption.
Her words,”We are here to seek collaboration with the ICPC, because we as Civil Society Organisation cannot fight corruption on our own, we need the assistance of ICPC,EFCC to actually give communities the development they deserve.
“There were painful issues we sighted when we went out for project tracking in some communities in Akwa Ibom state, we discovered some abandoned projects and other aspects of corruption that affect citizens’develooment.
“So we will like to bring the information and experiences in those communities to you to carry out further investigations.”
The state coordinator however said the organisation in affiliation with MacArthur foundation in year 2017 was passionate not only in anti-corruption movement but in sectors such as Agriculture, health and education.
In their separate responses, the state Commissioner ICPC, Shola Shodipe as well as the EFCC Zonal Chairman, Garuba Dugum expressed readiness to collaborate especially in marking the anti-corruption day noting that they would communicate same to their different head offices for approval.
The ICPC state Chairman who described corruption as a hydra headed monster said it required a combined efforts of the antigraft agencies, relevant stakeholders and the people to fight the menace which had stripped communities of development.
The state ICPC boss hinted that the commission was restrategizing on best approach to tackle corruption in the state noting that constituency project tracking it carried out in some local governments of the state yielded fruits as a lot of hospital equipments such as dialysis machines, worth millions of Naira were recovered from private homes and sent back to appropriate hospitals.
“fight against corruption is so enormous that we cannot fight it alone, hence we need information from CSOs, NGOs since we cannot be everywhere. They will first help us
propagate the message of anti-corruption to places also they will avail us with information that will assist us investigate person or group of persons suspected of corrupt practices.”
On his part, EFCC zonal head, Dugum Garuba urged the CSOs and the people at large to avail them of information on people suspected to be involved in corruption for further investigations.
