President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan has charged Detective Superintendents to be fearless and diligent while dispensing their task of exposing corrupt practices in the country, adding that investigative officers have essential roles to play in realization of the administration’s commitment to nip corruption in the bud.
The Senate President, who was represented by the Chairman Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Sen. Suleiman Abdu Kwari, gave the charge to graduating Detective Superintendents of Course 8 Cadets, EFCC, in Kaduna recently.
He said ”the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has since 2015 set the ball rolling in the fight against corruption, adding that president Buhari’s re-election is a confirmation of the overwhelming support of Nigerians for his anti corruption war.
He reiterated that detectives have a long-term role of being “effective gate keepers of the nation’s resources.”
While describing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as an “elite anti graft institution,” he explained that investigative officers must continue to update their professional skills and capacities in order to effectively overcome the antics of those who perpetuate economic and financial crimes.
He expressed concern that perpetrators of crime will continue to devise new ways, and tasked the Detective Superintendents to also continuously seek new skills to enable them tackle the devices of criminals.
Addressing the detective officers, the Senate President said: “Anti-corruption commitment is nationalistic and requires that you be fearless and tireless in your tasks,” adding that “corruption has the biggest negative impact on our national life.”
“When our roads fail, when our electric power goes out, when our hospitals remain a source of national embarrassment, when our brave men and women in and out of uniform go out ill-equipped to do so, when our public schools become dilapidated and our children become exposed to extortion and sexual harassment, indeed, when businesses crash because of corruption and when our banks go under, these mean that government has failed in the anti-graft fight and in safeguarding the future of this great country,” he added.
While emphasising the conviction that “Nigeria can no longer afford to fail,” the Senate President explained that “Nigerians do not expect anything less than success in the war against corruption,” adding that the Buhari administration has made remarkable milestones in the anti-corruption war.
“I am aware of recent improvements and successes in this fight, but we must do more. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft institutions will be given all the necessary tools and legal support they need to succeed.”
“As the President of this 9th Senate, I assure you of our collective determination, working through the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, to do everything possible within our power to strengthen the anti-corruption commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
“This we will do, by addressing the gaps between talk and action. We will lead the charge from the National Assembly through a review of existing legislations, active partnership with various anti-graft institutions as well as the domestication of international anti-corruption treaties and collaborations with International Institutions,” he added.
