Rachid Benmessaoud, Country Director World Bank for Nigeria, has assured the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of adequate support under the World Bank’s ‘Economic Governance Project’ to further strengthen the anti-corruption war in Nigeria.
Benmessaoud, who is also the Coordinating Director for the West African Regional Integration Program, made this assertion on Friday, May 12, 2017 while on a spot assessment visit to the ongoing construction work at the permanent site of the EFCC, Airport road, Abuja.
His visit was a follow-up to that of a delegation of the World Bank which had during a visit on Thursday, May 4, 2017 pledged support for the anti-graft agency in the areas of facilities and capacity building.
The visitor, who was conducted round the facilities at the site by the project coordinator, Dixon Otitoju, described the facilities as “modern” and expressed happiness at the ongoing project and level of work at the new site.
According to him, the World Bank was in discussion with the Federal Government towards ensuring that maximum support is made available for the agency to carry out its operations.
“We are in discussion with the Government of Nigeria for possible support to the EFCC. We are at the initial discussion phase, where we are defining the modality of support”, Benmessaoud said.
He described the EFCC as a very important institution of accountability adding that it was imperative to partner with the anti-graft agency to enable it achieve its mandates.
“It is very clear that the EFCC has an important mandate which is to combat corruption and bringing transparency in the way that services are delivered. This is a very important institution of accountability, and we will like to partner with them, to help them achieve their objectives.”
Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, Secretary to the Commission, led the World Bank representative to the site.