Posted by By RAZAQ BAMIDELE on
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says that its operatives had never claimed to have the monopoly of knowledge, admitting that "as human beings, like any other person, we can also make mistakes."
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says that its operatives had never claimed to have the monopoly of knowledge, admitting that "as human beings, like any other person, we can also make mistakes."
The commission's Director of Operation, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, who made this confession on Tuesday in Lagos, while receiving in audience members of the Committee on Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), led by their President, Mr Olasupo Ojo, said the commission welcomes "constructive criticism and suggestions that can make us achieve better result in the war against corruption."
Speaking further, Lamorde reminded his guests that "the war against corruption is a collective Nigerian project and not for the EFCC alone," stressing that until every Nigerian assumes the ownership of the war, the monster would refuse to go.
He, therefore, urged the CDHR members to assist the commission in taking the awareness to the grassroots so that the country would heave a sigh of relief as far as corruption is concerned.
Earlier, the CDHR boss, Mr Ojo, had told the representatives of the commission that the group's visit was to see things for itself, vis a vis some insinuations that suspects in the EFCC cells were being kept under abnormal conditions. He said that as a civilized country, the condition of cells in Nigeria must conform with the charter of the United Nations that laid down a basic standard accommodation rules for detainees.
Against this background, the CDHR boss suggested that the EFCC should publish pamphlets containing the rights of detained suspects and make them available to the detainees so that they could know what they deserve to have while in the commission's cells.
While assuring the commission of his group's readiness to assist in spreading the anti-corruption gospel to the grassroots, he said: "Even before the advent of the EFCC four years ago, human right groups had been in the forefront of anti-corruption war," adding, "right now, all members of the CDHR are automatic anti-corruption fighters."
While conducting the visitors round the detention facilities later, Alhaji Muhammed Alikali, who is in charge of bank transactions at the commission, stated: "Our facilities conform with the said standard of the United Nations charter," while expressing dismay about some bogus claims in the media.
Heassured the media, civil society groups and interested individuals that "the commission is very accessible," adding that EFCC has been doing its work according to the rule of law.