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EFCC Boss Knocks Nigerians for Celebrating Corrupt Leaders
Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has argued that Nigeria’s under-development would be a thing of the past if everyone begins to see corruption as a common enemy and tackle it.
He stated this on Friday when officials of the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) led by the Director of its Board of Trustees (BoT), Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd) paid him a courtesy visit at the EFCC corporate headquarters, Abuja.
He said: “One of the major problems in Nigeria which when tackled, will make under-development a thing of the past, is corruption and financial crimes. A society that is ready to move forward is a responsibility not only of the government, but of the citizens. This is what has actually led some of us to be very committed to this cause.
“We are ready to go the whole hog to do what we need to do within the confines and provisions of the law and the power that the Constitution has conferred on us. If everybody makes up his or her mind to do the right thing, we’ll move forward in this country.”
Olukoyede, who expressed delight at the proposal of the CCC delegation for collaboration and synergy in the areas of strategic communication and public engagement, re-emphasized that the work and successes of the EFCC run on the wheels of public engagement and advocacy.
“We thank you for proposing a synergy and collaboration with us to support the work we do. One of the strong pillars of our mandate is the issue of public engagement and public advocacy. We will partner with you in that respect. We have so many projects and programmes with respect to letting the public know what we’re doing and we are doing everything possible to ensure that we create awareness on the part of Nigerians with respect to the need for us to be careful and play by the rules.
“However, it is so unfortunate that the same people who approbate also reprobate at the same time. Everybody is crying that Nigerians are corrupt, that the system is corrupt; that corruption is killing us and destroying our system, but when we investigate high profile cases and arraign people in court, the same people will carry placards and be supporting corrupt leaders.
“It doesn’t show that we are serious about this fight. The fight is supposed to be a collaborative effort. No single agency can do it alone. It is practically impossible for us as EFCC to fight all the battles. The society has a role to play; policy has a role to play and the issue of welfare of the citizens has a role to play,” he said.
Speaking on the trajectory of his leadership, he disclosed that he has prioritized prevention over enforcement since coming on board.
“Now we are laying more emphasis on prevention which is a critical aspect of our mandate. We don’t have to always be waiting for money to be stolen before we start working in EFCC. To drive prevention, I established a new directorate called Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC and now we are doing more of blocking of the leakages. We have access to GIFMIS (government payment platform). We want to track and see where every money released is going.
“We want to ensure that every capital project is executed. With prevention, we discovered that there will be less to enforce. We are not dropping our mandate on enforcement. As a matter of fact, we are scaling it up. But we believe that it is important for us to prevent because it costs less to prevent than to react when the deed must have been done. So that is one of our areas of focus as of now.”
Madagascar’s army has taken over power and dissolved all institutions, while President Andry Rajoelina fled the country for safety.
Mr Randrianirina also added that the military has dissolved all institutions except the lower house of parliament, which voted to impeach Mr Rajoelina a few minutes before his announcement.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mbah announced his decision on Tuesday during a press conference in Enugu, saying the move was aimed at advancing the state’s interests through a stronger partnership with the ruling party at the centre.
He said his defection followed “a long period of reflection,” adding that the APC’s vision under President Bola Tinubu aligns with his own goal of driving sustainable development in Enugu and across the South-East.
“Today, after a long period of reflection, we have decided to leave the PDP and join the APC. We share a vision that transformation must be disruptive,” Mbah stated.
“I have found in His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a partner in purpose, a man with the courage to look beyond today and make the tough choices that secure lasting prosperity for tomorrow.”
The governor, who was accompanied by his predecessor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, federal and state lawmakers, and top political figures in Enugu, said the decision was a collective one made by his political family.
According to him, “This is no whimsical decision. It is a collective move by the political family in Enugu State, comprising members of the National Assembly, members of the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all local government chairmen, councillors, political appointees, and over 80% of party executives.”
Mbah also expressed optimism that the defection would ensure that “the voice of Enugu people and indeed that of the South-East would now be heard in Abuja.”
While thanking the PDP for its past support, Mbah lamented that the South-East had often been sidelined in national politics despite its loyalty to the party.
“To the Peoples Democratic Party which provided us the platform on which we campaigned and won, I extend deep gratitude,” he said. “But despite our loyalty, our voices were too often disregarded.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s recent grant of presidential pardon, describing it as a reckless abuse of executive power that weakens the justice system and emboldens criminality in the country.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Atiku said the decision to extend clemency to individuals convicted of serious crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption was both “shocking and indefensible.”
He argued that the essence of a presidential pardon — a constitutional prerogative meant to temper justice with mercy — had been grossly misused by the Tinubu administration. According to him, the act has diminished the sanctity of justice and sent the wrong message to Nigerians and the international community about the government’s moral values.
“At a time when Nigeria continues to reel under insecurity, moral decay, and rising drug-related offences, it is deeply troubling that the presidency would prioritize clemency for those whose actions have undermined national stability and social order,” the statement read.
Atiku cited reports indicating that nearly 30 percent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes, describing the move as particularly insensitive given the country’s ongoing struggle with narcotics abuse and its tarnished global image on drug issues.
The former vice president also drew attention to what he called “the moral irony” of the decision, referencing past controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s alleged links to drug-related investigations in the United States.
“It is, therefore, no surprise that this administration continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise,” he stated.
Atiku warned that the pardon had made a “mockery of the criminal justice system,” discouraged law enforcement agencies, and dishonoured victims of serious crimes.
“Clemency must never be confused with complicity,” he said. “When a government begins to absolve offenders of the very crimes it claims to be fighting, it erodes the moral authority of leadership and emboldens lawlessness.”
The former vice president concluded by urging Nigerians to demand a leadership that upholds justice and integrity.
“Nigeria deserves a leadership that strengthens justice, not one that trivializes it,” Atiku said.
