Corruption: Nigeria In Danger - Ribadu

Idowu Samuel, Abuja - 19.09.2009

Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has expressed worries over the wave of corruption in the country. He also recounted the pains he had taken in combating the menace as the head of the anti-graft agency.

Ribadu stated this in an interview he granted to an internet-based magazine before his controversial visit to Nigeria, the text of which was made available to Saturday Tribune. He stressed the EFCC under his control managed to contain the menace of corruption in the country to a considerable limit. Ribadu expressed regrets that fight against corruption in Nigeria had reduced, a reason he said former public officers who the EFCC rated as corrupt were still in government circles today.

He said by the time he assumed office as the head of EFCC, corruption had almost made Nigeria a failed state, given the rate at which Nigerians were turning to corrupt acts for survival. According to him, corruption was responsible for the high rate of death in the country.

He said as the EFCC chairman, he started the fight against corruption by declaring war on advanced fee fraud kingpins who, he said, had extended their operations beyond the shores of the country.




http://www.tribune.com.ng/19092009/news/news1.html