Today it has become incumbent on leaders to appraise and display their performance scorecard to the people to critically assess and evaluate them.
Ben Okezie
MATTHEW 11:4-6 (KJV)
“Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
The above Bible quote better illustrates the basis for my write-up.
Jesus was confidently telling the disciples of John the Baptist who were sent on an errand to verify whether Jesus was the anticipated messiah or they should wait for another. There and then, he reeled out his scorecard as enumerated above.
The confidence exuded by Jesus while reeling out his achievements was not only exemplary but extraordinary.
Today, by this Bible passage, it has become incumbent on leaders to appraise and display their performance scorecard to the people to critically assess and evaluate them.
When a leader is oblivious of his ability and capacity, then his scorecard would depict an abysmal failure.
Office holders, once a while, need such transparent reassessment of their performance so that the public can better evaluate them.
That was exactly what Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did when he assembled foreign and local media representatives to the new EFCC Tower in Karu district of Abuja to ask them the simple question, “what do you and Nigerians say about me and the commission?” He told them to be frontal and tell him their mind. Trust journalists, they did not spare him. He too was equal to the task. The journalist were aware that he was a commissioner of police whose experience in investigation could not be underrated. They knew about his lofty antecedents in recovery of loot and cracking down of financial criminals in high places, especially politically-exposed persons (PEP)! Magu has seen it all. So, for him to ask journalists to frankly assess him and his commission was almost like a tall order. This type of challenge is what journalists desire most. Yes, he confronted them like the biblical Goliath who was adorned with all military hardware but forgot that little David could still make an inroad through his forehead. Magu was asked about the overbearing attitude of the Presidency and the alleged use of the commission against perceived opposition members. Like a bull about to tackle its opponent, he adjusted his seat and quickly reeled out names of members of the ruling party who were the first to be investigated and arrested for prosecution, such as Senator Joshua Dariye, lbrahim Shekarau and many others.
READ ALSO: Shekarau quits PDP
My television friend, sitting next to me, was impressed as he noted, “The guy (Magu) is well prepared.”
Truly, Magu is not a pushover when issues of financial crimes are being discussed. He is a plus not only to the country but to the Nigeria Police. Since his appointed as Acting Chairman of the
EFCC on November 9, 2015, there has been an impressive progression in all sections of the commission. In fact, there has been a monumental transformation in the operational and administrative activities of the commission, an indication of what the government wants to achieve, which is to fight corruption. Apart from the long list of achievements that are evident, there are more results that are still in the pipeline known to this writer that would further attest to the ingenuity of Magu and his men. Even as journalists left the imposing 10-storey tower of the EFCC, there is still the need to constantly review the activities of its personnel; some of who are already derailing from the known objectives of the commission. These are the Judases in the commission and should be flushed out of the system before they soil the good name of the commission.
EFCC has grown more than the dream of its founding father and this is partly because of the hardwork of all its past leaders, and the police institution that produced, trained and impacted these virtues in them. More commendation should be passed to the present leader who has doggedly maintained and improved on the ideals and dreams of the commission by giving it an added boost and a more prominent place among international bodies of financial crime fighters.
READ ALSO: Wike, Ozekhome, Fani-Kayode lead Fayose to EFCC
Today, the commission is functioning like its counterparts in other developed countries; no wonder Nigeria’s experiences are always needed during every summit. Magu’s list of achievements are endless but, like Jesus told the disciples of John, Magu can brag before journalist when he reeled out what he has so far achieved with the solid backing of President Muhammadu Buhari. Among those arrested and loots recovered include Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), $1million, 3 houses, ne shopping mall.
Air Marshal Adesola Amosun (rtd), N2,244,500,000, two houses, an ultra-modern hospital.
Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo – N190,828,978.17; Air Marshal Mohammed Umar (rtd), one house. He went on, in 2015, N33.1 Billion (N33,180,830,789.62,
USD – 42,917,204.75,GBP-147,100.00,
EURO – 832,237.23, RUPEES – 86,500,RMB-3,588.00.
In 2016 -NAIRA- 170,276,862,879.93, USD-69,142,551.39, GBP-44,758,00, EURO-46,470.10,DIRHAM-8,755.00, S/RAND-20,456.00,CAD-117,004.00, YEN-120,141.00,FRANCS-5,000.00, RUPEES-2,000.00, CFA-80,845,000.00
In 2017-NAIRA-473,065,195,977.50, USD-142,504,121.12, GBP- 294,851.82,EURO-7, 247,363.75,DIR- HAM-443,400.00, S/RAND-70,500.00
While between January and August 2018, N106,516,222,383.68
USD -1,635,925.81-GBP- 629,193.65
EURO- 25,575.00 were recovered during his tenure.
The faces in the room were lightened up after Magu’s address. He must have seen the appreciation on their faces as many nodded. Indeed the commission is forging ahead and the fear of EFCC has suddenly become the beginning of wisdom for many top Nigerians. A close analysis of the list speaks concertedly of one thing, which is, it is no longer business as usual. It tells one that elevated positions also attract constant scrutiny on one’s activities.
The present administration should be applauded for the zeal added to the impetus to dislocate all shades of corruption from every sector of the economy at all levels. However, the newfound argument that the fight against corruption is one-sided can also be regarded as a one-sided argument from a myopic standpoint.