Investigative journalism crucial to anti-graft war – Magu


Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has said that investigative journalism is crucial to the success of the fight against corruption, saying it has a nexus with the core mandate of the Commission.

Magu, who described the role of the media in exposing corrupt practices in the country as “hugely invaluable”, said the media is the conscience of the nation.

A press statement by the commission’s acting spokesperson, yesterday in Abuja, said that the anti-graft agency boss stated this his goodwill message during the opening of a three-day training workshop on “Using Investigative Journalism For The Fight Against Corruption In Nigeria ” organised by Wadata Communications Nigeria Limited in Lagos.

He said: ” An investigative journalist is the one who stands out among other journalists; one who does not engage in armchair journalism; one who does not engage in cut and paste journalism or ‘brown envelope’ journalism; but instead, engages in deep, extensive, in-depth and serious research into issues of corruption, while also exposing such corrupt practices.”

According to him, as a law enforcement agency, the EFCC values information, adding that: “Whistle-blowing has made tremendous impacts on our operations. The reward for whistle-blowers, for which he or she gets between two and five per cent from the ministry of finance, is, no doubt, a legitimate way of making money.”

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