From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
The Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Chief Cosmas Iwu, has pledged the willingness of Imo State Government, IMSG under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma, to assist the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to fight money laundering.
Iwu made the pledge in Owerri recently while receiving, on behalf of Governor Uzodimma, a team of EFCC officials for the 2026 NPO Risk Assessment Field Exercise against money laundering, which was held at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre, Owerri.
The SSG told the inter-agency delegation, led by Mrs. Korede Abdul-Aziz, on a courtesy visit at the Cabinet Office, Owerri, ahead of the main session, that the State government was prepared to assist all federal agencies to achieve their mandate.
Welcoming the team to Imo State for the commencement of the 2026 Non-Profit Risk Assessment Field Exercise against money laundering, Iwu described crime as a global issue that is “infectious and spreads easily” and commended the Commission for the sustained spirited fight against all sorts of financial crimes in the country.
“Everyone cannot be happy with your method of operation or even existence, but the majority of Nigerians agree that without the intervention of the Commission, financial crimes would have been on the increase in the country,” he stated.
He further commended the leadership of the EFCC on the recent Risk Assessment Field Exercise on the Non-Profit Organisation sector, which aimed at ensuring that Non-Profit Organisations are not being used as conduits for money laundering and funding of terrorism in the country.
“The government of Imo State under the pragmatic leadership of His Excellency, the Governor, Hope Uzodimma, CON, GSGI, appreciates this engagement. We believe that transparency and accountability are key to good governance, and we will continue to support efforts that protect our people and institutions,” the SGI stated.
Iwu reiterated the fact that Imo State Government has been at the forefront of fighting corruption, noting that on assumption of duty in 2020 by His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, he discovered that previous administrations had outsourced the preparation of workers’ salary vouchers to nebulous contractors. Every month, the state government lost more than five hundred million naira (N500m) through payroll fraud; but Governor Uzodimma put a halt to it. Today, no worker in the state is owed one kobo by this administration.
