Eleven years after he was removed as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday, returned to the commission’s office but this time as an awardee for a job well done declaring that he had no regrets for the work he did while he was in office.
Ribadu, who is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Adamawa State, was among the 306 workers of the EFCC honoured by the Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, at an elaborate ceremony at the commission’s academy in Karu, near Abuja, yesterday.
Ribadu, who is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Adamawa State, was among the 306 workers of the EFCC honoured by the Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, at an elaborate ceremony at the commission’s academy in Karu, near Abuja, yesterday.
Ribadu, touted as one who instilled fear in the anti-corruption commission, said he had no doubt that the commission remains the best hope-inspiring institution in Nigeria.
Ribadu said: “We believe we have clean hands and, therefore, we can clean the dirty faces of Nigerians,” and admonished staff of the commission to be steadfast in their commitment to the fight against corruption, describing the EFCC as his family.
According to him, “the EFCC remains my family and no matter how long, your good efforts will be rewarded. I urge you all not to worry about distractions but to continue to do your job no matter the circumstances and you will surely be rewarded.”
Ribadu lauds Obasanjo
Ribadu used the occasion to pour encomiums on Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Femi Falana, General Aliyu Gusau and late Gani Fawehinmi for believing in the vision of the EFCC as a vehicle for ridding the nation of economic and financial crimes.
Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi, who was the special guest at the event, asked the commission staff to be more resolute in their effort to fight graft.
Agabi tasks EFCC staff
Agabi said: “Our country is ours to build, and you are in the remarkable position, having been appointed to investigate and prosecute all those who undermine that work through corruption.
“Our laws are not self-enforcing, they require good men and women to enforce them, and you of the EFCC are the good men and women that the nation has appointed to see to the enforcement of our laws.”
Agabi, in whose tenure as AGF the commission was established in 2003, expressed delight that the EFCC, which though faced teething problems at its inception, had grown to become an institution of repute within and outside the country.
We’ ve set high standard for staff —Lamorde
Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, described the ceremony as 11 years in the making. He said that right from inception, the commission took a conscious decision to be different, thereby throwing a challenge to chart a totally new path in law enforcement in Nigeria.
“Consequently, we have set a very high standard for our staff, not only at the point of entry, but also in the discharge of their duties and for them to continue to stay employed with the commission,” Lamorde said.
He boasted that the EFCC that only a few were willing to give a fleeting chance of succeeding 11 years ago had since become an institution of reckoning in law enforcement, with operations, partnerships and influence stretching across and beyond the African continent.
306 honoured
No fewer than 306 staff members of the EFCC were honoured at the ceremony for serving the commission meritoriously in various capacities.
While 87 of the awardees were pioneer staff, 161 staff members were celebrated for meritoriously serving the commission in the past 10 years.
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