Ajirioghene Imah
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for close partnership with the media in the efforts to check corruption, especially money laundering.
The Executive Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa made the call during a workshop on Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes for Journalists in the Northwest which took place in Sokoto, Sokoto State.
According to him, the workshop was one of the modest efforts of the Commission to build synergy, understanding, and cordial relationship between the commission and media practitioners.
Bawa who spoke through the Commander, Sokoto Zonal Command, ACE 1 Aliyu Yunusa said the media should begin to ask questions on budget performance in the country.
“The media should begin to ask questions on budget performance through deliberate monitoring and reporting, whistleblowing on project failures, abandonment of contracts, project delay and poor project delivery.
“One way of doing this is through budget tracking. Yearly budgets of government at all levels are always announced.
“Institutions have their budgets, as well as elected politicians for their respective constituencies. The media should begin to ask questions on budget performance through deliberate monitoring and reporting”, he said.
He further reminded the participants of their sacred obligation as media practitioners to expose wrong doings in society, urging them to deploy more time, energy, commitment and professional strength to exposing fraudulent activities both in the public and private sectors.
