- Olukoyede said underdevelopment would be a thing of the past if every citizen sees corruption as a common enemy.
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede in has said that corrupt public officers will face zero tolerance from the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC chair’s remarks were delivered at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on anti-corruption, fiscal responsibility, and good governance held at the EFCC Academy in Karu, Abuja.
The workshop, organized in collaboration with the house committee on financial crimes, aimed to educate state and local government officials.
Represented by Chinwe Ndubueze, commandant of the EFCC Academy, Olukoyede stressed the importance of instilling accountability and integrity in public service to equip officials with best financial practices.
“The EFCC under my leadership will have no sympathy for public officers who breach the rules to enrich themselves or their cronies,” he said.
Olukoyede noted that poor fiscal transparency is responsible for 70% of Nigeria’s public sector problems, with trillions of naira being mismanaged annually.
He lamented that instead of addressing the nation’s pressing needs, corrupt officers divert funds through sharp practices, leaving the public to suffer the consequences.
“As public officers, you occupy a key position to shape the nation’s future,” Olukoyede added.
He emphasized that despite Nigeria’s abundant resources, corruption has hindered the country’s progress, saying “Nigeria has no business being poor but corruption is the albatross that has held this nation captive.”
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