By Hameed Hamzat
On Thursday, October 19, 2023, Olanipekun Olukoyede, assumed office as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Announcing his appointment earlier on October 12, Presidential Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, had said Mr. Olukoyede would serve for a renewable term of four years in the first instance.
On assumption of office therefore, the Anti-Graft Boss made it clear that the discharge of his mandate would all be about the Rule of law.
His words, “We are going to drive professionalism in discharging our duties in line with the rule of law. The rule of law is going to be our guiding light.
“The EFCC is a creation of the law. Its Act is a legal instrument. This means that all our activities should be in line with the rule of law. There is nothing we are going to do that will be at variance with the law.”
He has also made clear at several fora that ‘Corruption is the next deadliest affliction of humanity’, thus, sending clear signals that while at the helm of affairs at the EFCC, he would have no tolerance for corruption.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in a recent report titled, “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends” revealed that N721bn was received as bribe by Nigerian public officials in 2023.
The figure, the NBS says amounted to about 0.35 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
The report which was based on a survey conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, stressed that the average cash received by public office holders in 2023 was N8,284, an increase from an average of N5,754 in 2019.
“According to the 2023 survey, the average cash bribe paid was 8,284 Nigerian Naira.
“While the nominal average cash bribe size has increased since 2019 (from NGN 5,754), this does not account for inflation. The inflation-adjusted average cash bribe in 2023 was 29 per cent smaller than in 2019 in terms of what could be bought with the money.
“Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly NGN 721 billion (US$1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, corresponding to 0.35 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria.”
To the EFCC Boss, corruption is the next deadliest affliction of humanity and must be fought frontally.
According to him, “Aside terrorism, corruption ranks as the next deadliest affliction of humanity in every region of the world.
“In view of the danger and threat to our existence which corruption represents, it is imperative that individuals, communities, corporate bodies and indeed the whole world join hands to tackle it frontally.
“One way of doing this is through the whistle-blowing initiative”, adding “We cannot win the war against corruption through lip service, emotional outburst or mere mob campaigns.
“There is a need for commitment, passion, consistency and credibility of intelligence. Every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs”, he said.
Olukoyede spoke while addressing stakeholders at the Unity Fountain on Thursday, July 11, in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day.
He called for enhanced and consistent commitment to whistle blowing by Nigerians to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
Olukoyede therefore, pleaded with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organizations to be part of the anti-graft war.
According to him, “most of the governors being prosecuted today were those who couldn’t pay minimum wage.
“This is an urgent need for us to fight corruption and the NLC should throw its weight behind the agency in the fight against corruption,” he said.
Speaking, NLC President, Joe Ajearo, promised that the union would fully support the EFCC in its fight against corruption.
Also speaking, various stakeholders at the Road Walk bared their minds on the need for more affirmative actions against corruption.
The Chairperson, Conference of Civil Society and Coordinator Civil Military Cooperation (CIMCO), Adams Otakwu, commended the EFCC for galvanizing Nigerians to stand against corruption.
Otakwu said: “It may interest us to know that upon all the threats to national security including terrorism, insurgency, proliferation of small arms and light weapons the most insidious of them is corruption and that is why the fight against corruption must be tackled head on”. READ ALSO:
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Other speakers were the representative of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Etim Markus, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Nigerian Correctional Service, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, among others
In Abuja, the Day was marked by a colourful Road Walk by staff of the EFCC and other stakeholders in the anti-corruption corridor.
Amidst dancing, singing and exhilarating clarions, Olukoyede led the Walk from the Wuse 2 Zonal office of the EFCC through streets of Maitama and terminated it at the Unity Fountain.
Hameed Hamzat writes from Kaduna.
