The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on March 10, 2020, charged religious leaders in the country to preach against corruption at all times and to be change agents and to be at the vanguard of leading the fight against corruption.
Magu made the charge during an interfaith program for Imams and pastors tagged, “Encouraging Accountability and Transparency Through Faith-Based Intervention (EAT-Fin)” organized by the Al-HABIBIYAH Islamic Society, at the Chida International Hotel Jabi, Abuja.
Magu, who was represented by the EFCC’s Head of Enlightenment and Re-Orientation, Oladele Oyewale, appreciated the efforts of Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society for their initiative and the timely programme, adding that the anti-corruption war requires all hands to be on the deck to nip it in the bud.
He said: “We know that the EFCC stands totally for anything that is anti-corruption, and what we have succeeded saying here is that everybody should be a change agent.
“Integrity starts from individuals and that is the only way we can root out corruption.
“And that is what the EFCC acting Chairman is preaching.
“It is not by our preaching and declaration alone, but also by our practical demonstration of integrity.”
According to him, the EFCC boss remained passionate about the anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and by extension, also committed to any initiative geared towards addressing the issues of corruption.
He commended the Al-HABIBIYAH Islamic Society for the collaboration with the EFCC and other faith-based organisations.
“Whether Christian or Muslim groups, we have a system whereby we meet these groups to preach the anti-corruption in capacity building, in sensitization, creating awareness and our efforts have been good,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Imam A.A. Fuad, thanked the EFCC and all other anti-corruption agencies and called for more collaboration with the EFCC in tackling the menace of corruption.
In the same vein, Chairman of the occasion, Bishop Michael, added that “the fight against corruption should begin from the church and from the mosques stating that religious leaders should champion the fight.
According to him, religious leaders speak to the consciousness of the people and therefore at the right position to preach to the people the negative effects of corruption effect.
