Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has received the endorsement of 25 countries around the world, applauding his work in fighting corruption in Nigeria. This unique validation is the outcome of an opinion poll conducted by United Kingdom based Global Peace Movement International. The poll result is coming a week after Transparency International released its latest transparency index in which Nigeria, for the first time in over a decade, moved up in the global anti-corruption and transparency ranking, a move analysts said is directly related to the efforts of the EFCC.
According to the report by Transparency International, the corruption perception index ranked 176 countries on a scale of 0 (perceived to be corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be clean). In the report released, Somalia was ranked the most corrupt country in the world for the tenth straight year.
Referring to the poll, President General of Global Peace Movement International, Dr Mike Uyi, said Magu explained that the decision to conduct the poll was based on the need to use an international survey to ascertain global opinion on the work of the EFCC, pointing out the EFCC Chairman secured more than 96 percent endorsement by respondents, with the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, China and Belgium all commending the work of the Commission.
According to the report of the survey, the United States of America lead the list of countries that endorsed the EFCC chairman with 92 percent responding in favour of the work Magu was doing, while 7 percent responded in the negative.
The United Kingdom returned a 96 percent affirmative and France 85.
Other results of the poll showed 90 percent Germans voting in favour of the EFCC chairman, while 9 percent disapproved. Russia had 62 percent in favour of Magu, while 29 percent disapproved. Greece was 73 percent in favour, with 22 percent going the other way.
Malta had 80 percent in favour with 17 percent disapproval; Sweden, 85 percent approval, and 7 percent disapproval; Belgium, 85 approvals and 8 disapproval; Switzerland had 76 approval, and 11 percent disapproval; Norway, 85 approval and 8 percent against; Austria, 81 percent approval and 6 percent disapproval, while India had 53 percent approval and 26 percent against.
Others are Brazil with 65 percent approval and 27 percent disapproval, same with China having 65 percent approval rating for the EFCC chairman while 22 percent disapproved, Denmark had 84 percent approval and 4 percent disapproval, while Canada had a 91 percent approval and 3 percent disapproval.
Japan was 92 percent approval and 3 disapproval, Luxembourg, 83 percent approval and 4 disapproval, Mexico, 83 percent approval and 7 disapproval, Portugal, 68 percent and 22 percent, South Korea, 74 percent and 16 percent, Principality of Monaco had 80 percent approval and 11 percent disapproval, The Netherlands, 82 percent approval and 5 percent disapproval, while Lithuania had a 72 approval and 13 for the EFCC chairman.
Dr Uyi, said the results of the survey on other public elected or appointed officials in Nigeria will soon be released to the public.
Is good that Mr. Magu is doing better about corruption in Nigeria than others in the same position.
But it is however ironic that his efforts are being recognized by some countries that have corruption up to the level of Nigeria, and some of the countries that have aided and exacerbated Nigeria’s corruption (UK and US).
Cash Ezimako