The Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has alleged that some governors are responsible for promoting insecurities in their states to justify the collection of more security vote’s allocation from the federal government.
Magu made this claim while delivering a paper titled “Imperative of Fighting Corruption/Terrorism Financing in Nigeria” during an induction course for the new and returning governors held at the old Banquet Hall, of the Presidential Villa Abuja.
He revealed he was not digressing into debate on the constitutionality of the security vote.
The EFCC boss urged the governors to be wary of transparency when it comes to accountability of expending public fund.
Magu in his statement disclosed, “We have also seen evidence of theft of public resources by some state governors – cashing on the insecurity in their states.
He added, “Insecurity has become a breeding ground for corruption to thrive as evident in the $2.1bn arms procurement scandal involving top military commanders both serving and retired.”
The anti-corruption boss opined that, though corruption cannot be disjointed from the beast of insurgency bedeviling the North-east, however, pervasive poverty as having been institutionalized by the elites has played a significant role in helping the insurgent woe followers to sustain their onslaught against the Nigerian masses.
Magu added that militancy in the Niger-delta and insurgency in the north are by-products of corruption in the land.
He reiterated that “whether we like it or not, corruption and terrorism are now twin evils, undermining the collective efforts of Nigerians from actualizing its potentials.”
The EFCC boss express with dismay how the country has been bleeding due to corruption in the last decade that has resulted into trillions of Naira, noting that a review of the recoveries between 2017 and now, indicates that in 2017, the EFCC recovered N473.065 billion, $98 million, €7 million and £294,000, while N236.16 billion was recovered in 2018, which give just an insight into what had been stolen so far.