We Need To Redirect Our Focus As Anti-Corruption Agency – New EFCC Chair

The newly-confirmed Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has emphasised the need for the Commission to redirect its focus as an anti-corruption agency.

Olukoyede said this while outlining how he plans to run the EFCC as the chairman during his screening by the Senate on Wednesday.

Olukoyede said he has come up with a three-thronged approach, chief of which will drive economic development.

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“When this nomination came up, I quickly addressed my mind to the herculean task… So, that helped me to come up with a three-thronged approach which I call policy objectives. The first has to with focus and this will drive me and my colleagues if I am privileged to be confirmed in EFCC.

“What is the focus of an anti-corruption agency? In Nigeria, we need to redirect our focus, section 6 of the EFCC Act has given us what an anti-corruption agency should be doing, I believe we should focus on driving economic development.

“Number two, we must also create an atmosphere for transparency and accountability in running the government. And also number three, we must help as an anti-corruption agency to build the international image of this country because if you don’t do that, there is no way you will endear foreign direct investment,” Olukoyede said.

He expressed the need for collective responsibility of every Nigerian to agree that corruption is a cankerworm to the country’s development and fight it together.

The EFCC chair noted that with the way financial crime has overwhelmed the Nigerian structure and system, it will be very difficult to move forward as a country. He reiterated the need not to leave the fight against corruption to the anti-corruption agency alone.

Following his nomination as the EFCC Chairman by President Bola Tinubu, Olukoyede was screened by the Senate on Wednesday and was confirmed by the lawmakers. Also screened and confirmed was Muhammad Hammajo as the Secretary of the Commission.