Foundation calls for citizens’ action against financial crimes

Chair of the Open Africa Foundation, Tunji Aworide, has urged Nigerians to rise against corruption and illicit financial flows, warning that the country’s future depends on transparency and accountability.   Speaking at the 10th Annual Conference on Financial Crime and Governance Integrity in Abuja, Aworide explained the motivation behind the initiative, noting, “The question that […]

Chair of the Open Africa Foundation, Tunji Aworide, has urged Nigerians to rise against corruption and illicit financial flows, warning that the country’s future depends on transparency and accountability.

 

Speaking at the 10th Annual Conference on Financial Crime and Governance Integrity in Abuja, Aworide explained the motivation behind the initiative, noting, “The question that came to my mind was, can you see the suffering? Can you see the injustice? Can you see the lawlessness? And can you see the impunity in Nigeria? The next question that came to my mind was, do you have a conscience? And I said yes… Why don’t you do something or say something?”

 

He stressed that illicit financial flows remain a major threat to Nigeria’s development. “When people have stolen money from Nigeria, they look for ways and means to launder this money to Europe, to America, to Canada, or out of Nigeria per se. Tackling corruption, the fight against corruption, is part of the fight against illicit financial flow,” he said.

 

Aworide noted that the impact of corruption is visible in poor infrastructure, hunger, and poverty. “We have to resolve as a nation, as a people, to come together and to appreciate the damage that these illicit activities are bringing to our nation. That is hunger, poverty, bad governance, and poor infrastructure,” he added.

 

He called for both citizen action and international cooperation. “Technical financial flow requires the cooperation of Western countries where most of these monies are laundered. That’s America, Canada, Europe, and other countries being recipients of this illicit financial flow. We need their cooperation to stop this flow. But to begin with, there’s a saying, a cliché, that God helps those who help themselves. We should stand up and fight as citizens against those who loot our treasury and launder the money abroad.”

 

Aworide added that the conference must have real impact. “The essence of this conference will be a waste of time and money if it has no impact on the lives of the participants. But I can testify that even today, individuals have approached me about how to join us in doing something to change our country for the better.”