Amid one year anniversary of Ola Olukoyede as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency boss has disclosed that the achievements recorded since assuming office were possible through decisive policy of the anti-graft commission.
Olukoyede said that the agency realized that achieving a drastic reduction in corruption in both public offices and private organizations in the country do not require kid-gloves.
He stated this at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja when the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Dr. Abdullahi Bello, paid him a courtesy visit and the CCB’s resolve to work together in ending graft.
During the visit yesterday, the EFCC boss stressed that every effort must be made by every stakeholder to build strength against corruption.
Olukoyede, while stating that both agencies have related mandates, added that there was need for them to strengthen their existing collaboration.
“I don’t see it as a courtesy visit, I see it more for the need for us to strengthen our existing collaboration. It is important for all of us to note that the two agencies are mandate -aligned, we are set up to fight corruption and financial crimes in the land.
“One of the things that we have been talking about with respect to the functions of CCB is the ability to be able to do investigation and to really ensure that investigations and prosecution are pursued very rigorously.
“You don’t fight corruption with kid-gloves in Nigeria, it will never work, You don’t plead with people, You don’t beg people, everybody knows that corruption is bad.
“Fighting corruption is what nobody wants to do but somebody has to do it. All of us desire to see a better Nigeria, but a better Nigeria will not just drop from the sky, we have to work for it. Foreigners will not come and do it for us, we have to deal with it by ourselves and we have what it takes to deal with it”, he said.
The EFCC Chairman also charged the CCB’s boss to revive the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, to make it functional and effective which will further strengthen the fight against corruption.
On his part, Bello stated that his Bureau needed support and collaboration with the EFCC for more robust fight against corrupt practices.
“EFCC is an organization that has distinguished itself and we want all the assistance and support that we will get from you and I hope and I believe we will get it”, he added.
