The acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has reiterated the resolve of the anti-corruption agency to ensure transparency and honesty in the implementation of the ideals behind the creation of the National Social Investment Programme in the North East.
“There are complaints across board of the beneficiaries collecting monies, while others are using proxy companies to siphon public funds, and this will not be tolerated,” he said.
Magu, who spoke through the Head, EFCC Maiduguri Zonal Office, Lawrence Iwodi, at the 14th Situation Room, which held in Maiduguri, Borno State, also urged N-SIP beneficiaries to report any person(s) engaging in fraudulently activities through the program.
“The public is hereby warned to desist from fraudulent acts, as the EFCC will not relent in carrying out a proper investigation and likely prosecution of offenders in the area of school feeding and other programmes of N-SIP,” he said.
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He further urged Nigerians to embrace the Federal Government’s whistle-blower policy, stressing that “beneficiaries should endeavour to provide us with information on fraudulent activities currently happening across the states, especially the school feeding programme.”
Speaking at the event, which had as its theme: “Increasing Transparency and Participation in the Implementation of the Social Investments Programme,” the keynote Speaker, Maryam Uwais, who was represented by Sola Afolayan, Adviser, Social Investments Programme from the Monitoring, Evaluation and Social Impact, noted the resolve of the N-SIP to partner with the EFCC.
Uwais said: “The N-SIP is collaborating with the EFCC on investigating and prosecuting of all cases relating to financial fraud on our programmes.”
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Sadiq Isa Radda, and the Director General of National Orientation Agency, Garba Abari, appreciated the effort of the EFCC in the fight against corruption and the achievement so far made by the Commission.
There were also representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress, National Union of Teachers, Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption, MacArthur Foundation and religious bodies at the session where the alarm raised by the First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari, that funds meant for SIP were being tampered with, was confirmed.[THE EAGLE ONLINE]
