The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to come up with functional strategies and initiatives to tackle corruption and improve governance at the local government levels.
In a statement by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Tuesday, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, gave the charge during a two-day national workshop and Official Flag-off of Anti-Corruption Preventive Tools with the theme “War Against Corruption at Grassroots” at the EFCC Academy, Abuja.
Olukoyede, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mohammed Hammajoda, noted that only determined efforts against corruption would offer Nigerians a new lease of life.
He, therefore, urged participants to leverage their collective wisdom, experiences, and insights to promote transparency and accountability in local government administration.
“There is a need for radical improvement of governance at the grassroots; only determined efforts against corruption would offer Nigerians a new lease of life,” he said.
In his remarks, Chairman Board of Trustees, ALGON, Odunayo Ategbero, noted that prevention of corruption is better than cure, pointing out that a bottom-up approach in tackling corruption would offer meaningful development to Nigerians.
He further stated that the fight against corruption and other societal ills bedeviling the country is the collective responsibility of everyone in society.
On his part, Minister for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo, commended the initiatives of the EFCC and ALGON concerning the workshop and called for robust discussions, exchange of ideas, and proper implementation of resolutions at the end of the workshop.
Among the dignitaries was Senator Shehu Umar, who called on the EFCC to maintain regular vigilance on the activities of both state and local government officials across the country. He also called on managers of local governments to collaborate more with the commission through intelligence sharing aimed at combating corruption at the grassroots.
