EFCC holds anti-corruption walk, vows to tackle looters of public funds

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has vowed to tackle looters of public funds, drainers of resources and other corrupt elements in Nigeria in order to make room for growth and development across the country.

According to a statement and photos shared on the agency’s official X handle, the Chairman stated this on Saturday, December 9, in Abuja during a road walk held in commemoration of the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day, themed ‘Uniting the World against Corruption’.

Olukoyede was quoted as saying that the EFCC under his watch would not allow resources meant for economic growth and greater good of Nigerians to be cornered by looters and that every stolen fund would be recovered to develop social systems in the country.

He further promised that the anti-corruption mandate of the EFCC is being refocused to stimulate growth and development in all the sectors of the economy.

He said, “We are going to give sleepless nights to those stealing our money. We are going to remove opportunities for corruption. We are going to plug the loopholes. We are in the era of a new budget. We have sent words to all the gate-keepers of our finances in Nigeria that we are going to work with them. Every money that is released, we are going to track them.

“We are refocusing the anti-corruption mandate of the EFCC. We will fight corruption to stimulate growth and development and remove all the threats to the progress of the nation. We are tired of corruption in Nigeria. Our youths must have job opportunities.”

On the theme of the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day, Olukoyede stated that the whole world must come together to fight corruption and expressed readiness to approach the international community for the recovery of stolen funds kept abroad.

He said, “Those who are keeping looted funds abroad are more corrupt than us. We are going to go after them. We will recover our funds and use them to develop our systems.”

The statement further read that the road walk was held in all the fourteen zonal commands of the EFCC, as the one by the Abuja Zonal Command in Wuse district witnessed massive turn out of Nigerians, including staff of the EFCC, civil society organisations, representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Police, Armed Forces, National Youth Service Corps, women groups, media and other stakeholders.