Magu to public servants: How to stay off jail

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has a word of advice for public and civil servants who want to stay off jail.

Adhere strictly to the 2007 Procurement Act in award of contracts and procurement processes, he says.

He vowed to step up the anti-corruption fight in Nigeria, saying that the fight has come to stay and cannot be stopped by anybody.

Magu, who spoke, at the Public Procurement retreat for Chief Executive Ofgicers/Acvounting Officers of parastatals and agencies of government on Saturday in Abuja, said the agency remains undaunting in fighting corruption to a standstill in the face of so many adversities

. “It has come to our knowledge that heads of public officers try to steal from public covers through the procurement processes. “For us everybody has a duty to fight corruption.

“I want to warn that only strict adherence to 2007 Procurement Act will save you from jail term.” Continuing, the anti-graft Caesar said: “Nothing will stop us in the fight against corruption, nothing. I say nothing, nothing at all. “Nobody, nobody can stop the fight, it has come to stay and we are determined.

“We are unrelenting in the face of serious adversity serious adversity. Nothing can stop us.

“Even though, corruption is fighting back, we will continue to fight and we will win at the end of the day, because we are not fighting corruption as an individual.

Every Nigerian should join in the fight against corruption.”

He appealed to all Nigerians to join hands with the EFCC to win the war against corruption, insisting that the war would be won.

“The appeal is that we want to mobilize everybody, the best strategy in fighting corruption is to bring everybody on board and I am telling you, we will succeed. No doubt about that,” he added.

In his welcome address, the Director General of Bureau of Public Procurement, Mamman Ahmadu said the retreat was organised in line with ongoing reforms for the purpose of efficiency, transparency, accountability and value for money in the entire process.

He said Nigeria’s status, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) makes it imperative that all hands must be on deck to see that Nigeria escapes from the throes of corruption, which is often perpetrated on the heels of public Procurement activities.