Corruption: I wonder how Nigeria is still surviving – EFCC chairman
By John Ogunsemore
The Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has said that the sheer amount of public funds stolen by public officials leaves him wondering how Nigeria is still surviving.
According to an EFCC statement, Olukoyede said this on Tuesday, July 2, while receiving the management team of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) led by its Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu who came on a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s headquarters.
The EFCC boss disclosed that public corruption is the bane of development in Nigeria.
Decrying the magnitude of stealing by corrupt elements in the country, especially stealing of unspent allocation in government agencies, Olukoyede said, “When I look at some case files and see the humongous amount of money stolen, I wonder how we are still surviving. If you see some case files you will weep.
“The way they move unspent budget allocation to private accounts in commercial banks before midnight at the end of a budget circle, you will wonder what kind of spirit drives us as Nigerians.”
Olukoyede said public corruption ranks as the biggest cause of corruption in Nigeria, emphasising that if public corruption was taken out of the polity, the country would fare better than many countries of the world.
“A situation where somebody would hold a public office or position of trust for years and you call him to account and he says no, he would not account, is not acceptable,” he said.
He stressed that transparency and accountability should be embedded in both the public and private sectors for optimal development of the country.
Olukoyede reiterated that corruption posed a huge challenge to the country, but expressed optimism that the prevention mechanisms of his leadership would ensure that the commission stays ahead of the devices of the corrupt to ensure that Nigerians have good governance experiences.
He maintained that the preventive framework of tackling corruption offers more prospects of results and impact, stressing that the EFCC now has a Department of Fraud Risk and Assessment and Control for this purpose.
