The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman Ola Olukoyede has ordered staff of the anti-graft agency to declare their assets.
In a statement by Dele Oyewale, the agency’s spokesperson, the order is a bold move towards internal accountability and cleansing, noting that, it was also in line with civil service regulations and procedures.
The EFCC boss gave the directive on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission in Abuja while addressing senior staff of the EFCC.
Olukoyede who was recently approved by the Senate stressed that, fighting corruption required those at the vanguard to be above board. “All of us are going to declare our assets; from level 17, downward. I did mine, so there’s no reason for anyone to be afraid to do same. Even the Commission Secretary did, you all may also have done it in the past, but there’s need for all of us to do it again.
“We will declare our assets, and we are going to investigate it. We must live above board by setting the pace with good examples. As anti- corruption fighters, our hands must be clean, so we must declare our assets,” he said.
Olukoyede called on staff of the Commission to pay more premium attention to the basis of fighting economic and financial crimes, pointing out that, such efforts should be geared towards growing the economy of the nation, creating rightful environment for enhanced investment and strengthening the productive base of the economy.
“We must do our job to add values to the nation. Investors must have confidence in the economy and we must help the country to be governed in an accountable and transparent manner. By doing this, it will offer us a new direction to redeem the image of the nation,” he said.
Olukoyede also charged staff of the Commission to be professional, thorough in their engagements, rich in integrity and be non-partisan. “Please, I beg you, let’s our hands be clean and put our house in order. Some may not like me, but I am going to do the right thing and treat everybody equally irrespective of religion, ethnicity and region”.
He assured staff of better welfare package, enhanced training and equal opportunities to ensure higher productivity. He warned “ those compromising their works and positon to desist from such conduct, as dire consequences await every unsavoury tendency”.
The EFCC boss assured the Commission’s staff that adherence to the rule of law would be an article of faith and defining principle of work. “ The EFCC is a creation of the law. We must do our job in line with the dictates of the law. This is a standard international practice and we would ensure that it is our established norm,” Olukoyede said.
