Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has stated that Nigeria is blessed with natural resources to be prosperous yet corruption remains the primary factor holding the country back.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on anti-corruption, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and good governance, held at the EFCC Academy in Karu, Abuja, Olukoyede emphasized that the anti-graft agency will not tolerate public officers who misuse public funds for personal enrichment.
The event was organized in collaboration with the House Committee on Financial Crimes, specifically targeting state and local government officials to enhance their understanding of financial best practices.
Olukoyede, represented by the Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Chinwe Ndubueze, stressed the importance of instilling accountability and integrity in governance, stating that these values are essential to Nigeria’s progress.
“The EFCC under my leadership will have no sympathy for public officers who breach the rules to enrich themselves or their cronies,” he declared.
Highlighting the dire impact of corruption on national development, Olukoyede noted that “70 percent of the problem that Nigeria faces in the public sector is down to poor fiscal transparency. In every budget cycle, trillions of naira are appropriated to cater for the nation’s pressing infrastructural, social, and economic needs.
“Instead, we have had the terrible misfortune of rules being circumvented and funds diverted or outrightly stolen through various sharp practices in the procurement value chain, while the rest of us suffer the consequence of the indiscretion of a few corrupt public officers.”
The EFCC boss further underscored the role of public officials in shaping Nigeria’s future, stressing that their actions directly influence the nation’s economic and social well-being.
“As public officers, you occupy a vantage position to determine the fortune of this nation. Nigeria with all its human and natural resources has no business being poor but corruption is the albatross that has held this nation captive,” he concluded.
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