Anti-graft fighters across Nigeria have been called upon to always strive to be ahead of fraudsters in intelligence, focus, thinking and strategies in order to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in the country.
The Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, made the appeal while receiving representatives of the The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, who visited the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Olukoyede observed that fraudulent schemes and fraudsters across the world have become dynamic, especially with advancements in technology. Therefore, tackling them requires that corruption fighters be more dynamic and resourceful.
“You must be ahead of the corrupt in every way. The world has gone digital and dynamic. So, corruption fighters should hone their skills at all times and not rest on their oars,” he noted.
Corruption Fighters Must be Ahead of Fraudsters – Olukoyede
Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has called on corruption fighters across the country to always strive to be ahead of fraudsters in intelligence, focus, thinking and… pic.twitter.com/FPsS45EF56
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) November 16, 2023
The EFCC chairman commended RoLAC for its consistency and commitment to the cause of fighting corruption, assuring that the EFCC would always collaborate with it in entrenching transparency and sound justice delivery in the anti-corruption corridor.
“Let’s work along the chain of justice delivery more and more,” Mr. Ola Olukoyede appealed.
Earlier in their presentations, RoLAC’s Head of Programme, Mr Danladi Plang, and Dr. Emmanuel Uche, Programme Manager on Anti-Corruption, said that the European Union (EU) expressed satisfaction with all the programmes RoLAC had with the EFCC, promising that the EFCC’s priorities would be RoLAC’s priorities.
They also expressed their commitment to strengthening their collaboration with the EFCC in the areas of capacity building, improved technology, research, and training in the fight against corruption
According to Plang, “the EU-funded projects through RoLAC are in the second phase of implementation. The first phase ended successfully in March 2023, with the EFCC as one of its core beneficiaries.
“The project earned the EFCC development of E-achieve, Strategic Plan and support for capacity building in investigation and prosecution.
“Phase two of our programme commenced in June this year. So, we are here to introduce ourselves and seek your support as well as to get your priority areas where you think we can be of help, because even the EU has recognized that our partnership with you has yielded great impact.
“So, this time we hope that we will enjoy more of that because we are looking towards building the capacity of the commission’s investigators, prosecutors, including the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), the Academy, and of course your operatives,” said the head of RoLAC.
For his part, Dr, Emmanuel Uche, the Programme Manager on Anti-Corruption, said that the EFCC’s role as the leading anti-graft agency in Nigeria is instructive, urging the commission to sustain the role of coordinating other agencies, especially emerging anti-corruption bodies in some states in Nigeria in order to improve the criminal justice system.
