Groups hold anti-corruption rally at EFCC office in Lagos

A coalition of civil society organisations on Monday staged a peaceful rally to the Lagos Office of the EFCC to drum up support for the ongoing fight against corruption.

The CSOs include Women Arise for Change Initiative, Mobilisation Against Corruption and Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA),among others.

Over 100 members of the groups marched from Tafawa Balewa Square to the the EFCC office on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi carrying placards with anti-corruption inscriptions.

Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “Walking against the Evil called Corruption”, “Corruption is enemy within, kill it’, “End corruption now”, ‘Kill corruptions before it kills Nigeria’.

Addressing the rally, the group’s spokesperson, Mrs Joe Odumakin, urged Nigerians to unite in the fight against corruption which, she said, was restricting the nation’s development.

In order to break the menace of corruption, Odumakin urged government to strengthen the anti-corruption agencies and the judiciary to speed up graft cases and bring ofenders to book to serve as deterrence to others.

“We must all create massive awareness to fight corruption and government must strengthen all the anti-corruption institutions like the EFCC, ICPC.

“The judiciary must speed up cases of corruption and with the special court, people will be brought to book and serve as deterence to others..

“The disease plaqueing this country today is corruption and the vaccine is transparency,” said Odumakin, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative.

Receiving the group, Mr Garba Dugum, EFCC Head of Lagos Operations, said that corruption and economic crimes has been the bane of development of the country.

“To put it mildly, I wonder if anyone would wish that the corruption monster is allowed to walk the land unfettered.

“Especially when we realize the volume of public funds as well as assets that have found their ways into some private hands in very condemnable and criminal ways in the past years.

“The EFCC, has continuously proclaimed its zero tolerance for corruption and economic crimes, which is the bane of development of the country,” Dugum said.

According to him, the EFCC is not ready to halt its agressive anti-corruption campaigns which it has activated.