Mallam Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been conferred with the Nigerian American Award as the ‘Anti-Corruption Crusader of the Year’.
Magu was conferred with the award in Tampa, Florida, by the Nigerian American Business Forum (NABF) for his efforts in stemming the corrupt business practices and fraudulent financial activities in Nigeria.
Mr John Momoh, Chairman, Channels Media Group and Channels Television, also bagged the ‘Media Personality of the Year’ for his initiative and innovation at the television outfit.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), was conferred with the ‘Food and Drug Administrator of the Year’ for the transformation she had carried out at NAFDAC within a short period.
Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, was also conferred with the ‘Most Diaspora Friendly Personality of the Year’.
Other award recipients were Mr Jim Ovia, Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc., who bagged the ‘Banker Personality of the Year’, while Dr Andrew Nevin, bagged the ‘Financial Guru of the Year’.
Chairman of NABF, Dr Afolabi Andu, said the award was instituted to recognise the contributions of Nigerians who are doing their best to change the narratives of the country.
Andu said the forum was primarily established to bridge the gap between Nigerian American based businesses and their home-based counterparts in the public and private sector.
Receiving the award, Magu said taming corruption was the only way forward for Nigeria in its quest for economic development, political stability and social justice.
Represented by Dr Aminu Gusau, Director, Policy, Planning and Statistics at EFCC, Magu appealed to Nigerian diasporas to join hands with the Buhari’s administration’s efforts at fighting corruption.
Magu warned Nigerians abroad against helping looters to hide their loots.
“I must make a categorical appeal to Nigerian diasporas that under no circumstance should you aid or abet foreign business partners to undermine our anti-corruption laws and processes.
“You should not help looters to hide their money abroad or help them in illegitimate fronting arrangements.
“It is worthy to note that Nigeria has been the leading country in the international fight for assets recovery and has been most triumphant in partial returns of the loots,” Magu said.
Similarly, the NAFDAC boss, who was also a speaker at the NABF conference, said that 65 per cent of medical products were being imported into Nigeria.
Adeyeye regretted that majority of sub-standard products were imported into the country, adding that there were compromises too among NAFDAC officials.
She explained that she inherited N3.2 billion debt at the agency, which she reduced to zero within a year of her stewardship.
She said the absence of NAFDAC at the Nigerian Ports from 2011 to 2018, was largely responsible for the unchecked importation of tramadol that was now killing many youth in the country.