AfriPulse
President Bola Tinubu
…As Olukoyede Seeks Stronger Pact Against Trans-Border Crimes
President Bola Tinubu has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to declare resource theft, particularly illegal mining and mineral smuggling, as international crimes.
Tinubu described these as threats to peace, security, and economic prosperity across the subregion.
The President made the call on Tuesday while declaring open the 7th Annual General Assembly of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), held at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Asokoro, Abuja.
The conference, themed “A United ECOWAS Against Corruption: Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Asset Recovery and Exchange of Information,” brought together heads of anti-corruption agencies, ECOWAS officials, development partners, and civil society groups from across West Africa.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who represented President Tinubu, lamented that despite several reforms and international cooperation efforts, illicit financial flows and resource theft continue to undermine development and security in the region.
“Even now, illicit outflows remain an odious miasma. Stealing of mineral resources is on the rise in the region, fueling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and other violent crimes such as kidnapping and banditry.
“These have exacerbated our security challenges and worsened the development outlook of the region,” he said.
The President noted that the illegal exploitation of natural resources not only robs nations of legitimate revenue but also sustains criminal networks that destabilize communities and governments.
“The time has come for ECOWAS to designate resource theft, illegal mining and stealing of minerals as an international crime that threatens the stability of the region, and galvanise the world against trade in stolen minerals from West Africa,” he emphasised.
Also, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, called for stronger regional cooperation among anti-corruption institutions to tackle trans-border crimes, illicit financial flows, and the laundering of proceeds from illegal resource extraction.
He stressed that corruption and economic crimes transcend national borders and require a coordinated and intelligence-driven response among ECOWAS member states.
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
