The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu on Monday said the days of impunity are over.

Why it matters: The Muhammadu Buhari-led government since the inception of office said that impunity was the order of the day as the previous government turned a blind eye to what was really going on in the country.

Highlights from Magu’s statement:

• Nigerians need to unite against corruption for sustainable development in the country.
• Magu spoke after a walk themed “United Against Corruption for Development Peace and Security”, to mark the 2017 International Anti-Corruption Day in Abuja.
• “It is high time Nigerians were united against corruption for sustainable development, peace and security. Our country has witnessed a torrent of the adverse effects of corruption and we need to kill the monster of corruption before it kills our country. I will never give up in making sure that corruption is completely eradicated in Nigeria. The days of impunity are gone”.

The walk which held simultaneously in all the cities where the EFCC has offices, featured invited stakeholders from diverse sectors including the  Public Complaint Commission, Nigeria Police, Independence Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC); organised Labour, Ministry of Justice, the staff of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, youth organisations, civil society organisations and African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRIMIL).

He said, “We cannot underscore the effects of corruption hence we need to join hands and fight corruption, I personally support this fight against corruption and it is when we are united in the fight against corruption that we will succeed.”

How true is this? Let’s cite a few example using members of President Buhari’s government.

• Maina: The reinstatement and subsequent promotion of the former pensions boss, Abdulrasheed Maina is still hanging in the air. The Attorney General Abubakar Malami; The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau were found complicit and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, who later confessed to being the brain behind the whole drama are still walking free.
• Babachir Lawal: He was sacked as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation months after he was accused of diverting huge sums of money. And that’s all we’ve heard about him since then.
• The NNPC billion dollar contract scam: That was dead on arrival. All the issues raised by The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu followed the wind.

Bottom line: Impunity has gone nowhere and we have to stop lying to ourselves in Nigeria. How many looters have actually been sent to prison for all the “monies” that have been recovered from them?

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram