The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to intensify the fight against economic and financial crimes, as well as other forms of corruption.
He made this declaration in Abuja on July 8, 2024 while addressing representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who paid a solidarity visit to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja.
Olukoyede emphasized that combating corruption is a collective responsibility that involves every stakeholder in the anti-corruption corridor. He assured that the EFCC would remain steadfast in its efforts and called on Nigerian students to actively participate in the fight against corruption.
“It is a collective responsibility to fight corruption in Nigeria. EFCC will not relent. I promise you that whatever it is going to cost us to fight this fight, we will fight it. As Nigerian students, you have a future, and it is our responsibility to protect you, ensuring that you successfully navigate your educational system, graduate, and secure good jobs,” Olukoyede stated.
He stressed the importance of accountability among leaders at all levels of government, asserting that every opportunity to serve Nigerians should be viewed as a privilege with a readiness to deliver maximum benefits to the people.
“There is nothing personal about it. What we are saying is that we must be able to hold people accountable. If you have spent eight years, four years, or even one year in office, by the time you come out, the position you held is a position of trust on behalf of all Nigerians. So, when you finish, come, we want you to explain how you spent our common wealth while you were in office,” he added.
Olukoyede urged the youth to join hands with the EFCC, become foot soldiers of the Commission, and extend the anti-corruption message across the thirty-six states of the federation. He expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Students Loans Scheme, highlighting its potential to secure a better future for students. He also assured that the EFCC would collaborate with the handlers of the Scheme to ensure its objectives are met.
Addressing concerns about a shadowy group threatening to invade the EFCC’s offices nationwide, Olukoyede remarked, “I know they are being sponsored by the people we are investigating.” He promised that there would be no sacred cows in the anti-corruption fight and assured that everyone would have their day in court.
He dismissed insinuations about recent operations of the EFCC in Akure and Lagos. He explained that out of the 127 suspects arrested in Akure, 113 were indicted, and 80 have already been charged to court. In Lagos, over 100 suspects have been indicted for involvement in internet fraud.
Olukoyede urged the students to be reform-minded and avoid anti-social tendencies. NANS Senate President, Senator Akinteye Babantunde, expressed the association’s full support for the EFCC’s anti-corruption efforts.
“We stand in full support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its relentless efforts in the anti-corruption war. This is not borne out of our personal aggrandizement but out of the desire to have a state that is firm and upholds the core values of integrity and honesty,” Babantunde stated.
The visit highlighted the collaborative spirit between the EFCC and the Nigerian student body in the ongoing fight against corruption, reinforcing the shared goal of a transparent and accountable Nigeria.
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