President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday charged the ICPC and EFCC to highlight their achievements to the public in order to correct erroneous impression of ineptitude.
The President gave the charge at the swearing-in of ICPC Commissioner, Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, from Bauchi State, before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa.
He also swore in Chief Eze Iheoma (SAN) as the Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), as well as two members of the Commission, Dr Aliyu Kwali and Bala Banye.
The Special Advisers to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Makanjuola Ajadi, and on NEPAD, Mrs Fidelia Njeze, were also sworn in by the President.
Jonathan noted that the ICPC and EFCC were, to his knowledge, discharging their respective duties effectively and efficiently, adding that they needed to do more in letting the public know their achievements.
“ICPC and EFCC must make Nigerians believe that they are working. I know what you are doing, but not everybody knows what you are doing.
“Ordinarily, these are agencies whose activities are not supposed to be made too loud because you don’t celebrate a situation where you send 100 or 200 Nigerians to prison,’’ he said.
The President contended that contrary to the erroneous impression being created by some critics, his administration had done creditably in the fight against corruption.
He said that majority of those criticising his government of not fighting corruption were even those that are “very corrupt’’.
“The society is so funny, that these days, anybody who wants to claim any element of credibility at all will go to the television and attack government of corruption.
“They say, the President’s body language shows that he is not fighting corruption or he is not ready to fight corruption.
“And sometimes it is even the very corrupt people that are making these statements because if you attack government you are insulated, you become an angle.
“If you want to be an angel, just attack the government, so whatever you have done is covered,’’ he said.
Jonathan stressed that to correct such negative impression, the anti-graft agencies “must proof to Nigerians and show to Nigerians that you are working’’.
“Recently, the EFCC published a list of about 250 people they had convicted, and that is a huge number of people, and they said the government is not fighting corruption.
“How many countries have convicted half that number of people within a space of time.
“But, before the publication, so many people did not believe that the EFCC are even going to work.
“So in a situation when you secured convictions you should be able to tell Nigerians from time to time so that people appreciate that these two agencies are working.
“I know you are working, but not everybody knows you are working,’’ he said.
The President, however, cautioned the agencies against convicting corruption suspects on the pages of newspaper and on television, even before trial. (NAN)
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