President Buhari says considering the weight of allegation brought against the anti-graft agency being headed by, Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), he had to order his probe. Buhari stated this while receiving the Report from the Panel of inquiry, headed by Ayo Salami, Ex-president of the Court of Appeal, promising that he would sanction any person or group of persons who aids corruption in his administration.
The president said in fighting corruption, there shall be no sacred cow noting that no individual is bigger than the country.
He said, “It was in response to the serious allegations against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that I set up a panel headed by the Honourable Justice Isa Ayo Salami, retired President of the Court of Appeal, via an Instrument dated 3rd July 2020 pursuant to the Tribunals of Inquiry Act (Cap T21, LFN, 2004),”
”We recognize that there are more grounds to cover in the war against corruption, and we are prepared to go out to possess those lands by cutting off any stream that nourishes the seed of corruption and supports its growth.
According to Buhari, fighting corruption comes with a price and that is going against anyone that thinks they are untouchable.
Though Mr. President noted that there is much corruption at a different level of government and nearly all sectors of our society, however, said it was shocking for anybody to raise allegations against the agency that is fighting the corruption itself.
Buhari described corruption as an abomination that strikes at the root and undermines the Government.
Therefore, he said fighting corruption was one of the campaign mantras that made Nigerians vote for him saying that since inception engaged in many reforms in removing corruption including but not limited to the enforcement of Treasury Single Account (TSA), strict implementation of the Bank Verification Number Policy and signing unto the Open Government Partnership.
Meanwhile, the panel recommended the sack of Magu and asked Buhari to look outside the police force for the next EFCC chairman.
