The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the nomination of Ola Olukoyede as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
During his screening, Olukoyede urged lawmakers to lead by example in the fight against corruption, stating that he is ready to work no matter whose ox is gored.
He urged the National Assembly to lead the fight against corruption and emphasized the need for all anti-corruption agencies to focus on prevention rather than enforcement, stressing that enforcement alone would not effectively curb corruption.
The Senate erupted in laughter when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, told Olukoyede not to use him as an example in the anti-corruption fight.
Olukoyede emphasized that the time had come for Nigeria to have an effective credit system that would enable citizens to buy houses, cars, and other luxurious properties without resorting to corruption.
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Olukoyede also called on the judiciary to prioritize substantive justice over technicalities and prevent cases from dragging on for too long.
The administration of the criminal justice system should also be improved to ensure that prosecution does not last for more than five years from the court of first instance to the Supreme Court. These steps will help protect the vital role of journalists in our society and reinforce the public’s trust in our judicial system.
He noted that corruption in Nigeria is connected to the low standard of living, and highlighted that Nigeria lost a total of N2.9tn to procurement fraud in three years.
The new EFCC Boss expressed that the N2.9tn could have been used to improve the standard of living in Nigeria by building more roads, standard tertiary institutions, and delivering more three-bedroom houses across the country. It could have also educated more children from primary to tertiary levels and given Nigeria world-class teaching hospitals in each of the 36 states of the country and the federal capital territory.
