Magu links separatist agitations to corruption

The acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, has identified corruption as the root cause of separatist agitations and militancy in the country.

Spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that Magu made the remarks at the opening session of a two-day Electronic and Social Media Review and Training Conference held at the EFCC Academy in Abuja.

In the statement, Uwujaren quoted Magu as saying “people would not be engaging in needless agitations if the country was corruption-free.”

The EFCC boss also said that Nigeria’s unity was one that could not be compromised, and urged participants at the conference to step up public sensitisation on the ills of corruption.

“We can change the negative perception of this country. I urge you all to be committed in this fight using your various platforms.

“The root cause of the hate speeches by the Arewa and Igbo youths is corruption. Some people are actually funding them.

“The looters of our common wealth are the ones responsible for the woes bedevilling Nigeria. We must do everything possible to secure the unity of this country.

“People who don’t deserve anything are taking everything and if there is no common consensus to halt the trend, the future of our children yet unborn will be mortgaged,’’ he said

Magu urged the participants to take a critical look at the social media platforms of EFCC and come up with suggestions on how to make them better.

In a presentation, Mr Joe Abah, the Director-General of the Bureau for Public Service Reforms, commended the EFCC, describing it as the leading anti-graft agency in Nigeria.

Abbah said “EFCC deserves a lot of credit. You are doing a great job. Your work is what we all need you to do but many of us don’t want you to do the work.

“EFCC is clearly chatting a new path for social media engagement for the anti-graft agencies looking at its statistics on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Google+, and Instagram.”

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He stressed the need for all anti-graft agencies to constantly compare note to improve information sharing and synergy across the social media.

A prominent blogger, Mr Joshua Omojuwa, who spoke on “Digital Media in Nigeria”, said “one could not deny the great works and achievements of the EFCC.”

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Omojuwa noted that the EFCC Twitter handle “was strong”, rating it as the twitter handle of the year 2017.

He further shed light on how the new media could be used to make the job of corruption fight more effective.

“Social media pages should be domiciled in your website, which is the headquarters of your activities in the commission.

“You need to start creating visual contents.”

He warned that the commission should be wary of hackers, saying he had noticed that the EFCC had many fake Facebook accounts.

While noting that this could be damaging to the image of the commission, the blogger advised that Facebook should be contacted to block the fake accounts.

Lauretta Onochie, the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, urged Nigerians to join the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration in tackling the “hydra-headed monster called corruption.

“Corruption has been a hindrance in the wheel of progress of the country. We need to stand up against corruption.

“Let us live as patriots of our nation. I plead with every Nigerian to support the nation and the EFCC in the anti-corruption war. Let us all come together and kill corruption.”

The conference was an initiative of the Public Affairs Directorate of the EFCC, the first social and electronic media programme review by the agency.

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The initiative was part of the commission’s efforts to enhance its communication strategies and channels used in engaging the public in the fight against corruption.