Journalists have been tasked on budget tracking, whistle blowing and performance evaluation, monitoring of failure and project abandonment by authorities, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Sokoto has posited.
The Commission through Abdulrasheed Bawa, gave the charge at the opening of a one-day workshop on “Economic and Financial Crimes Reporting for Journalists” in Sokoto where he stated that the task of exposing corrupt public officials calls for commitment and attention to details.
The programme which he said was flagged off last year in some of the commission’s zonal Commands has been significantly expanded to make journalists in other Zonal Commands of the commission benefit from it, hence in Sokoto.
Bawa, who represented the Sokoto Zonal Commander of the Commission, Aliyu Yunusa, said, “the media should begin to ask questions on budget performance through deliberate monitoring and reporting, whistle blowing on project failures, abandonment of contracts, project delay and poor project delivery.
He said the task of exposing corrupt public officials is not as demanding as thought by all and sundry but really calls for commitment and attention to details.
Bawa explained that one way of doing this is through budget tracking and yearly budgets of government at all levels need to be announced at all times.
He emphasized that Institutions have their budgets, as well as elected politicians for their respective constituencies and the media should begin to ask questions on budget performance through deliberate monitoring and reporting.
He also stated that the workshop is one of the modest efforts of the Commission to build synergy, understanding and a more cordial relationship with the gentlemen of the Pen Powers.
Our correspondent also reports that the Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II, Legal and Prosecution Department, Headquarters, Chris Mshellia, delivered a paper tagged “New Money Laundering Framework: Duties and Responsibilities of Individuals and Corporate Organizations.
This was followed by that of ACE I Dele Oyewale and Superintendent Cajetan Egerue that delivered papers on Investigative Journalism, Nigeria’s fight against Money Laundering and Digital Payment System subtitled Emerging Opportunities for Fraud and Prevention Tips for Victims and Comitants.
